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Employee Engagement from the Viewpoint ofEmployees in AcademiaStephanie Giles-MerrickWalden University

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Walden University

College of Management and Technology

This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by

Stephanie Giles Merrick

has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects,

and that any and all revisions required by

the review committee have been made.

Review Committee

Dr. Steven Tippins, Committee Chairperson, Management Faculty

Dr. Stephanie Hoon, Committee Member, Management Faculty

Dr. Raghu Korrapati, University Reviewer, Management Faculty

Chief Academic Officer

Eric Riedel, Ph.D.

Walden University

2018

Abstract

Employee Engagement from the Viewpoint of Employees in Academia

by

Stephanie Giles Merrick

M S, Troy State University, 2008

BS, Georgia State University, 2005

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

Management

Walden University

August 2018

Abstract

Research does not address how staff in the United States perceive employee engagement

in the university system. Leadership training and communication for managers are

essential processes that help staff become highly engaged in universities. The purpose of

phenomenological study was to explore the views of employees in a selected university

within the state of Georgia in an attempt to address positive employee engagement in the

academic environment. The engagement theory and social exchange theory were used as

the conceptual frameworks to explore how employees engaged in their department

working with their managers. To address this question, a purposeful sample of 15 females

and 5males full time employees who had a direct line reporting relationship to a manager

were selected from one university in the state of Georgia. The research questions

indicated what lived experiences of Georgia School system employees feel about

engagement and the factors employees identify as the influence on employee

engagement. Employees responded to a questionnaire, containing 14 open ended

questions, to gather rich data on their lived experiences. Open hand and axial coding

extracted data to identify the emergent themes, such as: incentives, increased morale,

increased confidence and reverence of management, reward based performance, and

organizational productivity. These findings indicate that managers must learn to meet the

needs of the employees to positively address employee engagement. This research

contributes to positive social change by adding insights for managers seeking to increase

productivity.

Employee Engagement from the Viewpoint of Employees in Academia

by

Stephanie Giles Merrick

M A Troy State University, 2008

B S Georgia State University, 2005

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

Management

Walden University

August 2018

Dedication

I dedicate this dissertation to my daughter, Angelica Wheeler, and granddaughter

Saniah Williams, for their encouragement and patience with me. With all their love and

cheerleading for me, I was able to finish this journey. To my mother and best friend,

Ardell Henderson, who taught me that I could be whatever I choose to be and do,

whatever I set my mind to do. She never stops striving for my success; my late

grandmother, Helen Buchannon, looked for me always to be the best I can be and said

you would do great things in this world.

To my father, Billy Giles, who supports me, and to my two brothers, Billy Giles

and Richard Giles, who always encouraged me and told me that I was smart and prepared

to go high, and my cousin Monique Flakes who kept me laughing. They were right, and I

appreciate and will forever remember their love and belief in me.

Lastly but not least, I thank God, for the guidance, patience, and endurance to be

the person he knows I could be. With his help, I was able to stay encouraged, engaged,

and empowered to finish this journey. Thank you for helping me to achieve my dream.

Acknowledgements

I would like to express my sincere and deep appreciation to my mother and father,

daughter, granddaughter, family, and friends for their excellent and sincere cooperation

during this difficult time during my academic endeavors. I am forever grateful to all those

at the university, Professor Prince A. Ordu, PhD for encouraging me to pursue this

doctoral degree, Dr. Wayne Richards, who gave me permission to use his copyrighted

instrument, and everyone else I did not mention but contributed in some fashion to the

successful completion of this dissertation.

I owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to Dr. Steven Tippins, who served as my

committee chair and mentor. In addition, I wish to express my gratitude to each of my

proposal committee members: Dr. Stephanie Hoon and Dr. Raghu Korrapati. Their time

and advice was appreciated sincerely. Also, my deep appreciation goes to those whose

interviews have strengthened this research.

i

Table of Contents

List of Tables ................................................................................................................... vii

Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study ....................................................................................1

Introduction ......................................................................................................................1

Background of the Study ..................................................................................................4

Problem Statement ...........................................................................................................8

Purpose of the Study ........................................................................................................9

Research Questions ..........................................................................................................9

Conceptual Framework ..................................................................................................10

Nature of the Study ........................................................................................................11

Definition of Terms ........................................................................................................12

Assumptions ...................................................................................................................14

Scope and Delimitations .................................................................................................14

Limitations .....................................................................................................................15

Significance of the Study ........................................................................................... 16

Significance to Practice ............................................................................................. 16

Significance to Theory ............................................................................................... 17

Significance to Social Change ................................................................................... 18

Summary and Transition ................................................................................................18

Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................19

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ii

Literature Search Strategy ..............................................................................................20

Conceptual Framework ..................................................................................................21

Conceptual Foundation .............................................................................................. 23

Literature Review Related to Key Concepts ..................................................................26

Employee Engagement Theory ................................................................................. 26

Challenges of Employee Engagement ....................................................................... 27

Drivers of Employee Engagement ............................................................................. 27

Significance of Employee Engagement ..................................................................... 29

Employee Commitment ............................................................................................. 33

Motivation Theory ..................................................................................................... 34

Employee Motivation ................................................................................................ 37

Empowerment ............................................................................................................ 39

Recognition ................................................................................................................ 40

Psychosociological Theory ........................................................................................ 41

Social Exchange Theory ............................................................................................ 42

Leadership and Employee Engagement .................................................................... 45

Transformational Leadership ..................................................................................... 48

Communication Theories .......................................................................................... 49

Communication Practice ............................................................................................ 51

`

iii

Impact of Communication on Leadership and Strategic Planning .................................53

Communication as it Enhances Human Resources ................................................... 54

Communication as a Tool to Enhance Engagement .................................................. 55

Organizational Climate .............................................................................................. 56

Types of Organizational Climate .......................................................................................58

Organizational climate as it relates to human resources ................................................59

Organizational climate as it relates to engagement ........................................................61

Organizational Climate Theories ...................................................................................63

Organizational Effectiveness ..........................................................................................64

Gap in the Literature ......................................................................................................65

Summary and Transition ....................................................................................................66

Chapter 3: Research Method ..............................................................................................69

Introduction ....................................................................................................................69

Setting .............................................................................................................................69

Research Design and Rationale ......................................................................................70

Role of the Researcher ...................................................................................................72

Methodology ..................................................................................................................72

Participant Selection Logic ........................................................................................ 73

Instrumentation .......................................................................................................... 75

Sampling and Sampling Procedures .......................................................................... 76

`

iv

Recruitment Procedures, Participation and Data Collection ..................................... 77

Data Analysis Plan..................................................................................................... 78

Data Organization Technique .................................................................................... 79

Issues of Trustworthiness ...............................................................................................80

Validity ...................................................................................................................... 80

Transferability ........................................................................................................... 82

Reliability .................................................................................................................. 83

Ethical Procedures ..................................................................................................... 83

Summary ........................................................................................................................84

Chapter 4: Results ..............................................................................................................86

Introduction ....................................................................................................................86

Research Setting .............................................................................................................87

Demographics of Study Participants ..............................................................................88

Data Collection ...............................................................................................................90

Data Analysis .................................................................................................................92

Evidence of Trustworthiness..............................................................................................93

Credibility .......................................................................................................................94

Transferability ................................................................................................................95

Dependability .................................................................................................................96

`

v

Conformability ...............................................................................................................96

Results of Study .................................................................................................................97

Theme Analysis: Research Question 1 ...........................................................................98

Theme Analysis: Research Question 2 .........................................................................108

Theoretical Connection ....................................................................................................118

Summary ..........................................................................................................................119

Chapter 5: Discussions, Conclusions, and Recommendations ........................................121

Interpretation of Findings .............................................................................................122

Limitations of the Study ...............................................................................................127

Recommendations ........................................................................................................128

Importance of Building Trust .................................................................................. 130

Leader Training, Mentoring, and Continuous Learning .......................................... 131

Creating Policy or Guidelines for Employee Engagement ...................................... 132

Recommendations for Additional Studies ............................................................... 133

Implications ..................................................................................................................134

Implications for Social Change ....................................................................................136

Conclusion ....................................................................................................................138

References ........................................................................................................................140

`

vi

Appendix A: Letter Granting Permission to Conduct the Study in the Georgia State

University System ............................................................................................................162

Appendix B: Letter Granting Permission to use Interview Questions .............................163

Appendix C: Interview Questions and Demographic Data ..............................................164

Appendix D: Confidentiality Agreement-Transcriptionist ..............................................166

`

vii

List of Tables

Table 1. Demographics of Study Participants................................................................... 89

Table 2. Theme Analysis: Research Question 1 ............................................................... 99

Table 3. Theme Analysis: Research Question 2 ............................................................. 109

1

Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study

Introduction

Human capital is a vital asset for an organization to meet its goals. Human capital,

together with employee effort and performance, determines business success (Handa &

Gulati, 2014). Organizations are social systems, and placing workers first is an approach

to improving employee engagement (Albrecht, Bakker, Gruman, Macey, & Saks, 2015).

Organizational leaders should consider people before the needs of business to achieve

success. Organizations need to understand the factors that influence employee motivation

and behavior (Handa & Gulati, 2014). Organizations with satisfied, performance driven,

and engaged employees may achieve better operational results and better retain the

results than institutions that have disgruntled employees who lack involvement and

enthusiasm (Grant & Marshak, 2011).

Employee engagement is not a new term. However, participation has received

significant attention in the past 20 years. The concept of employee engagement is rapidly

gaining popularity and importance in the workplace (Welch, 2011). Defining the term is a

challenge because human resource generalists, educational consultants, and researchers

have developed various definitions. According to Schaufeli and Salanova (2014), an

engaged employee is energetic, mentally resilient, dedicated to working, and enjoys the

challenges at work. Handa and Gulati (2014) defined employee engagement as an

employee’s cognitive, emotional, and behavioral state directed towards desired

organizational outcomes. Employee engagement can apply to workers, employees,

leaders, and managers. Some theories contribute to the construct of engagement such as

2

motivation theory, leadership theory, and social exchange theory. A model that shows

how four key HRM practices focused on engagement influence organizational climate,

job demands and job resources for psychological conditions related to engagement or

disengagement at work that individual employee psychological and motivational factors

will need to be implemented in the policies and procedures (Gruman & Saks, 2011).

Kahn(1990) described engagement, in people to express themselves cognitively,

mentally, physically, and emotionally during task performance Further, engaged

employees are so dedicated to their work that they find difficulty detaching them from

their job (Handa & Gulati, 2014).

SET includes the exploration of relationship between the employee and

organization, which provides a reason for understanding employee engagement,

employee satisfaction, and organization commitment (Ariani, 2013). Given the

importance of employee engagement to organizations, combined with the deepening

disengagement among workers today, a critical issue involves how to promote the

participation and involvement of employees. Employee engagement is a measure of

satisfaction, commitment, and discretionary effort (Biswas & Bhatnagar, 2013).

Therefore, it is critical for managers to cultivate engagement, given that disengagement is

central to the problem of workers’ lack of commitment and motivation. Also, Hakanen

and Schaufeli (2012) viewed involvement as the opposite of burnout. The researchers

saw engagement as active participation in the work employees do and having a personal

sense of responsibility. The study is divided into five chapters, with the first being a brief

introduction to the study including its purpose, significance, research objectives, and

3

research questions. Chapter 2 includes an exhaustive literature review regarding the

practicing strategies of human resources management within the context of employee

engagement. Chapter 3 involves the methodology used in the study. Chapters 4 and 5

include the data analysis and results. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological

study was to report how the lived experiences of a purposive sample of 20 full-time staff

employees viewed engagement in a Georgia state university.

4

Background of the Study

In an academic environment, staff may experience a lack of respect, no

appreciation, and discomfort. During those times, managers working in the department

encouraged staff to speak openly to express their concerns. When staff did speak candidly

about their emotions, they felt there was no point. The perception of feedback by

employees is no matter what they discussed regarding the issues or problems no one is

making choices to fix the concerns. Also, the managers are not acknowledging the

negative information coming from the staff perception of employee engagement (Schuck

& Wollard, 2013). In the United States, research regarding employee engagement has not

been done from the staff perspective in a university setting.

Although there is a significant amount of research focused on employee

engagement in organizations such as consulting firms, there is limited emphasis placed

on employee engagement in universities (Welbourne, 2007). In 2012, University of

Georgia was chosen as one of the great places to work in the state of Georgia (Mills,

2012). Schuck and Herd (2012) found that companies in which 60% of the workforce is

engaged had average five-year total returns to shareholders of more than 20%. That

compared to companies where only 40 to 60% of the employees are engaged, which had

an average of about 6% (Baumruk, 2006). The positive results for corporations in Europe

could have the same effect for staff in the academic workplace.

Organizational investments in creating a competitive advantage by developing

employee engagement are increasing, yet despite the increase in spending, levels of

employee commitment and engagement are not improving (Krishnan & Wesley, 2013).

5

Also, organizational behavior of individuals and groups within an organizational context

and how organizational processes and practices affect individuals and groups (Gibson &

McDaniel, 2010), can have an effect on improving engagement. This study may identify

employee engagement problems in a selected university within the state of Georgia. The

findings of the study might lead to a new understanding of the role that effective

management can play in the improvement of the existing university system in the state of

Georgia.

Change is common in organizations. Teams may change strategy and undergo

restructuring, or they may implement new technology. In organizations, individuals are

accountable for their engagement; anyone who supervises or manages must coach team

members to have higher levels of engagement, morale, and motivation (White, 2011). In

a similar fashion, organizational leaders such as supervisors play a vital role in

influencing engagement among their staff employees (Mendes & Stander, 2011). Costs

associated with disengaged employees in the workplace are not just monetary. Loss of

productivity, business, stakeholders, and valued employees can all be the result (Crabtree,

2013). Additionally, adverse outcomes of engagement in the workplace include stress,

increased absenteeism, decreased productivity, and increased litigation (Kilfedder &

Litchfield, 2014). For academic institutions to achieve a committed workforce,

educational leaders will need to understand that employee engagement can help develop a

stronger and more dedicated group of employees. Conversely, a lack of it can weaken the

workplace.

6

The concept of employee engagement has gained popularity since the 1990’s.

Although the literature revealed many studies on employee engagement, there is a gap in

the research regarding the involvement of employees working in academia. According to

Kahn (1990), the employee’s role in job involvement, commitment, and motivation

focuses on how the subjective experiences of work shape the processes of people

working defines their level of engagement at work. He further supports that engagement

is a multidimensional construct and employee engagement has emerged as a potentially

significant employee performance and organizational management metric. Glavas and

Godwin (2013) believed that some leaders do not communicate effectively, and

consequently, do not provide the necessary feedback for employees to understand they

are valued. Those employee outcomes influence financial outcomes and organizational

success (Gavino, Wayne, & Erdogan, 2012; Gruman & Saks, 2011).

The ASTD (2012) stated that employers were spending time, money, and

resources on engagement and commitment training for employees and supervisors

through the mid-2000s. According to Crabtree (2013), 63% of the workforce worldwide

is composed of people at work who are not engaged in their organization. Crabtree

(2013) defined a disengaged employee as an individual who has given up on his or her

job and is just going through the work day doing less and passing the time. There is no

passion or energy in his or her work. Cardus (2013) described five components

employees need to be engaged on the job: such as a competent supervisor and having

broad goals established within the proper context are the first two important components.

Also, objective measures of progress and regress, the necessary resources to get the job

7

done and sufficient autonomy to do their best work are three remaining components. The

number of employees working within an organization can also play a role in their

engagement. According to Crabtree (2013), one survey indicated that the engagement of

employees is at its highest in organizations with fewer than 50 employees. Conversely

engagement is at its lowest in organizations with 1,000-5,000 employees. The

organizations with 1,000 or more employees found that 19% of them felt actively

disengaged compared to 12% of workers at companies with fewer than 50 workers. The

findings indicated that in those organizations, the development of relationships in the

workplace, the importance of an employee’s direct manager, and their role in shaping

organizational culture and learning was small.

Employees’ engagement for those employed by the United States federal

government is lower than that of the rest of the U.S. workforce. On average, 27% of

federal public servants were engaged in their jobs in 2014, compared with 30% of all

other workers in the United States (White, 2011). With more than 2 million federal

employees, lack of engagement costs the federal government an estimated $18 billion in

lost productivity annually, or approximately $9,000 per employee (White, 2011). Given

that the management problems such as disrespecting the employees and not showing

appreciation for their work of the selected university in Georgia may go beyond those

mentioned here, the researcher will strive to analyze and report the themes that will come

out of the research and make appropriate recommendations related to leadership and

communication.

8

In an unstable and uncertain environment, studies of employee engagement have

shifted focus away from deficiencies, such as organizational cynicism to strengthening

management (Conteh, 2016). Among many streams of new research that have come forth

by way of positive psychology, employee engagement is an area of study and practice

that addresses human feelings beyond activity in the workplace. As employees and their

supervisors negotiate the terms of new benefits contracts, both parties have a mutual

interest in redefining what it means to be engaged at work (Gruman & Saks, 2011).

Leaders need to address the issue of employee commitment to reduce turnover, help

discourage employees from becoming disengaged and retain engaged and willing

workers. Engaged employees are more productive when they build good customer

relationships and when they contribute to reducing the financial burden of employee

turnover (Gruman & Saks, 2011).

Problem Statement

Ruslan, Islam, and Noor (2014) indicated a Gallup poll estimated that disengaged

employees cost United States about $450 to $550 billion a year in lost productivity

(Ruslan, et al., 2014). Compared to previous years, employee engagement declined in

2015; with employee retention and employee commitment being two leading challenges

facing organizations (Vesty, Sridharan,Northcott, and Dellaportas, 2015).

The general problem was that staff who worked in the university system in

Georgia struggled to remain engaged in their work, resulting in high turnover and

creating employee disengagement in the workplace. The specific problem was that the

leaders in Georgia state university lack knowledge about how employee engagement and

9

job satisfaction influence their employees’ commitment to the organization. Since 2007,

studies are lacking regarding employee engagement from the perception of employees

specifically within a Georgia state university organization. A significant amount of the

researched showed the relationship with job satisfaction and organizational commitment

is positively associated with employee engagement in the United Kingdom (Blanchard,

Welbourne, Gilmore, & Bullock, 2009). This study was intended to fill the gap in the

literature regarding staff’s lived experiences in universities in the United States of

America.

Purpose of the Study

The goal of this qualitative phenomenological study was to report the lived

experiences of Georgia university system employees regarding employee engagement.

Recorded interviews of 20 staff members in a university located in the state of Georgia

were completed to understand how employees perceived the construct of engagement.

Learning more about what employees think about their level of employee engagement

and their productivity may help the employees of the university to improve engagement

and productivity. Increasing employee engagement in the college may increase

productivity. The results of this study may contribute to positive social change in

university's organization, culture, and management teams by determining how different

levels of employee engagement and job satisfaction influence commitment from staff.

Research Questions

Leaders who do not give employees opportunities for meaningful work may

create workers who mentally retreat from the organization. Low levels of employee

10

engagement may negatively affect the success of the organization (Yukl, 2012). In this

study, the researcher included interview questions to obtain data about the lived

experiences of staff working in a university environment. Interview questions are valid

for gathering information about a particular phenomenon (Sherrod, 2011). The researcher

included the two research questions developed to identify the strategies that may increase

the managers and supervisors knowledge of employee engagement in the university

system. The researcher sought to answer the following research questions:

RQ1: What are the lived experiences of Georgia school system employees

regarding employee engagement?

RQ2: What factors do staff employees identify as the greatest influence on

employee engagement?

Conceptual Framework

There were two theories, personal engagement theory and social exchange theory,

provided the conceptual; framework for the study (Bakker & Demerouti, 2008). These

theories supported this study regarding the relationship of employee engagement and job

satisfaction in the organization. Social exchange theory (SET) is one of the most

influential conceptual paradigms for understanding workplace behavior (Doherty, 2010).

According to Schuck & Wollard (2013), an exchange requires a bidirectional transaction

meaning something is given and something returned which was consistent with their

description of engagement as a two-way relationship between the employer and the

employee.

11

Kahn (1990) developed the personal engagement theory, which researchers have

used in both academic and professional studies relating to employee engagement. Kahn

(1990) found that there were three psychological conditions related to engagement or

disengagement at work: meaningfulness, safety, and availability. The psychological

conditions refer to the way people react or work in the environments with the feelings

associated with the conditions. Employee engagement is viewed as the opposite of

burnout; it represents active involvement in the work employees do and their personal

sense of responsibility (Sakovska, 2013). Kahn (1992) addressed personnel management

and further researched employee motivation factors, and suggested that personal

commitment is "the harnessing of organization members to their work role” (p. 7).

Kahn’s approach measures engagement or disengagement levels of employees

through commitment to the workplace. Employees become physically involved in their

tasks, whether in a group setting or alone, and become cognitively observant and

empathically connected to the individuals while completing a task through a personal

connection. Employees may have a sense of job ownership when they have a

commitment to their organizations. Shuck and Wollard (2013) stated that the process of

synthesizing a new definition of the concept for employee engagement.

Nature of the Study

This study had a phenomenological design to identify and report the lived

experiences of employees’ engagement within a selected university. A qualitative method

and phenomenological model was used to understand human behavior by gathering

perceptions from related individuals. A purposeful sampling method to collect data for

12

this study was used. The phenomenological design was suitable because the study

involved exploring a phenomenon to understand the perceptions of employees about their

workplace engagement. The researcher helped to identify recurring themes. The approach

was appropriate also because the purpose of the investigation was to develop a deeper

understanding of an employee’s engagement through the themes that emerged from

participants’ lived experiences. In this study, I interviewed 20 participants face-to-face in

one university system in the state of Georgia in eastern United States. The study data was

collected during an agreed upon specified time and location that the participants chose

based on their availability. The data was analyzed through open coding and using

NVivo11. The results from the study showed five themes in terms of the perception of

employee engagement in the workplace from employees. The desire to understand the

research participants lived experiences supported the use of a phenomenological research

study. The phenomenological design was suitable because the study involved exploring a

phenomenon to understand the lived experiences of 20 research participants about their

workplace engagement in a university in the state of Georgia. The purpose was to explore

what these 20 participants would say about their lived experiences regarding employee

engagement. I interviewed all 20 participants; data saturation was reached at 15

participants.

Definition of Terms

This section provided definitions of terms presented throughout this research.

Some of the terms may have common meanings; the definitions here offer an operational

meaning for the terms.

13

Actively disengaged: Employees who intentionally and consistently display

unhappiness to others. They provide a minimal output and undermine the work of

engaged employees (Gallup, 2013).

Disengaged: Employees who are not involved or who do not express themselves

in the workplace positively. They exert minimal effort, and they physically withdraw

from their roles (Khan, 1990).

Employee disengagement: Emotional detachment from work performance.

Employees who are disengaged undermine the performance and accomplishments of their

disengaged coworkers (Khan 1990).

Employee engagement: The level at which workers are willing to commit to

accomplishing the goals of the organization (Khan, 1990).

Employee satisfaction: The degree to which employees are happy, contented, and

fulfilling their needs at work. Many measures indicate that employee satisfaction is a

factor in employees’ motivation, goal achievement, and positive morale in the workplace

(Heathfield, 2015).

Organizational climate: A set of measurable and perceived properties of the work

environment that can influence employee motivation and behavior (Messarra, 2014).

Supervisor paternalism: The subordinate’s overall perception that a supervisor’s

behavior is both benevolent and controlling toward that subordinate (Wagstaff, Collela,

Triana, Smith, & Watkins, 2015).

14

Assumptions

There were four assumptions in this study. The first was that those interviewed in

this study would respond honestly to all questions. Another was that participants would

have no agendas or motivational factors that may influence or shape their responses. The

third assumption was that responses to interview questions would not be negatively

impacted by a current situation, for example, an employee’s disciplinary action or a pay

increase. The fourth assumption was that the staff members participating in this study

would not base their answers on personal agendas that would cause bias, such as a desire

for a promotion.

Scope and Delimitations

According to Leedy and Ormrod (2016), delimitations identify what the

researcher is not going to do. This qualitative phenomenological research determined and

reported the lived experiences of staff members within the field of academia. The study

was limited to employees in one university in the state of Georgia who were willing to

complete a one-on-one interview. A questionnaire consisting of 14 questions that

Richards (2013) approved that I can utilize the research tool. The research questions used

in this study were limited in focus to perceptions of employee engagement.

The scope of this study was narrow and focused on 20 employees working within

one Georgia academic institution. Participants were limited to one university in the state

of Georgia in the United States. A delimitation of the study was that employees such as:

supervisors, managers, presidents, and vice-presidents were not included in the sample

population because the research was based on the perceptions of the staff and not leaders

15

in the department. The participants were required to be working within the Georgia

university system at the time of the study and agree to participate voluntarily. Also, the

participants had multiple job titles such as administrative, information technology, and

custodial staff.

According to Cooper and Schindler (2014), one reason to identify delimitations is

to expose a weakness in the study; however, the weakness may not be evident before

conducting the actual research. The first research delimitation in the study was that the

interviews were restricted to participants who agreed to participate in the face-to-face

interaction. A second delimitation was that the members had to meet specific

requirements, such as working a minimum of 5 years in one department. Third, the study

was limited to participants who voluntarily participated. The reason for selecting one

university is because there is no research conducted in this particular institution from the

perception of the employees. Only full-time employees working a maximum 5 years were

included in the study.

Limitations

The limitations of this study included the following. The population for the study

consisted of one university in the United States. The participants came from one Georgia

University. The study sample was limited to the minimum sample of university staff

required to meet data saturation. The study took place in the southeastern region of the

United States.

16

Significance of the Study

In the United States, disengaged employees in the workplace cost more than $300

billion annually (White, 2013). Momeni, Anvari, Kalali, Raoofi, and Zarrineh (2010)

indicated that organizational costs to keep disengaged employees who are not productive

have a significant impact on profits and ability to retain skilled employees. The results of

this study may help Georgia universities lead to their managers and supervisors will have

a greater understanding of how better to create employee engagement within the

organization, which may benefit the school system in Georgia. The study was conducted

because there was an opportunity to add research exploring employee engagement from

the viewpoint of employees in the university system. Providing answers regarding how

employees feel about organizational commitment, trust, and respect could have a positive

impact on the overall effectiveness of managers and supervisors. The researcher may be

able to contribute to positive social change by helping the university system employees,

supervisors, and department leaders to increase employee morale throughout the

university system. Keeping employees engaged in a university environment may have a

positive effect on all areas of college operation.

Significance to Practice

Engagement is crucial for academia, where every employee must perform at high

levels because there are few other employees available to counterbalance inferior

performers (Sakovska, 2013). Engaged employees are assets to their organization, and

disengaged employees can be a liability (Gruman & Saks, 2011). The findings of this

study help to narrow the gap in literature existing in the business field by reporting the

17

effect of employee engagement from the perception of employees working in the

university system. The managers and supervisor will learn tools on how to keep the

employees engaged in the workplace such as being great listeners and coaches to the

employees. Also, when managers respect and value the employees the higher employee

engagement improves, retention, and better employee performance will benefit

universities.

Significance to Theory

Leaders who do not provide employees with opportunities for meaningful work

can cause disengaged employees, which in turn can increase turnover, burnout, and

absenteeism (Sakovska, 2013). Absenteeism and employee turnover can increase the

organizational costs. Costs to retain disengaged employees can have a significant impact

on an organization’s profits (Gallup, 2013). With this research, the researcher attempted

to narrow the literature gap on employee engagement by reporting the lived experiences

of employee engagement from the viewpoint of staff in academia. Also, there was

minimal research regarding engagement in universities in the United States indicated by

(Welbourne, 2007). The researcher’s intent was to understand the staff perceptions of

involvement from the viewpoint of working in the academic community. The goal was to

inform and allow universities remain great places to work in Georgia. This qualitative

phenomenological study involved reporting the lived experiences from staff that

promoted a better understanding of employee engagement in the workplace.

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Significance to Social Change

The study will contribute to positive social change by helping universities in the

United States and around the world to increase their performance and productivity in the

workplace. Understanding the phenomenon of employee engagement as it is related to

the lived experiences of staff in the university system will add to the body of knowledge

on the subject. The research will be useful for leaders in academic institutions, business

organizations, and communities who benefit from this study by using the information

from lived experiences of staff to gain a better understanding of employee engagement.

Summary and Transition

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to report the lived

experiences of Georgia university system employees regarding employee engagement.

Chapter 1 included background information that set the context for the study, the problem

statement, purpose statement, and significance of the research. Chapter 1 also included an

outline of the nature of the study, research questions, conceptual framework, and

definitions of key terms, assumptions, scope, limitations, and delimitations of the study.

Chapter 2 contains a comprehensive review that covers the important aspects of the study

and highlights the research relevant to employee engagement, theories, communication,

and leadership.

19

Chapter 2: Literature Review

Introduction

Staff who work in the university system in Georgia struggle to remain committed

and engaged in their work, resulting in high turnover and employee disengagement in

colleges in the state of Georgia. The problem that was investigated in this study was that

not enough is known about the lived experiences of employees in academia regarding

employee engagement. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to

explore employee engagement from the perception of staff within the Georgia university

system.

Due to the increasing concern for employee work performance and productivity,

social psychological research of cognitive engagement mechanisms gained wider

recognition in the field of business management and organizational leadership

(Blanchard, Welbourne, Gilmore, & Bullock, 2009). The context of the problem is that

the lack of understanding from managers regarding how employees are engaged at work

is putting engagement of employees at risk of not being productive in the workplace,

thereby reducing the effectiveness of business organizations (Dasgupta, Suar, & Singh,

2014). When commitment and engagement is low in universities, it results in turnover

and employee disengagement (Blanchard et al., 2009).

The academic work environment is dynamic and fundamentally changing. The

engaged employee harnesses resources for learning opportunities. The broad concept of

disengagement signifies the adaptation to the requirements of the defined work role and

responsibilities; furthermore, disengagement indicates a constrained commitment to

20

personal or organizational goals (Niessen, Binnewies, & Rank, 2010). Organizational

effectiveness affects the level of commitment of the employee. This study was conducted

with the hope that it would provide an opportunity to understand the perceptions of

employees, develop strategies for improving engagement, and contribute to employee

engagement with direct measures of organizational effectiveness and business growth.

The focus of this literature review will be on employee engagement from the perspective

of staff in the work place. Employee engagement can be a concern in the university

system and involves costs for academic institutions (Welbourne, 2007).

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to report the lived

experiences of employees in a university setting. The literature review provided a

summary of relevant, current, and historical qualitative, qualitative, and mixed methods

studies that have addressed influential factors related to human behavior, leadership

competencies, and effective communication in relation to employee engagement in

academia.

Literature Search Strategy

In this chapter, the researcher reviews literature on employee engagement, with an

emphasis on the lived experiences of staff in the university system. Additionally, the

researcher assesses current literature on communication and leadership with a focus on

universities in the United States to find valuable literature on engagement in relation to

staff workers. The researcher reviewed peer-reviewed articles, journals, books,

periodicals, and conference records published between 2007 and 2015 to identify 157

references selected for their relevance to employee engagement. The researcher used

21

multiple electronic databases to conduct the search, including ABI/INFORM Global,

Academic Search Premier, Business Source Primer, EBSCOhost, PsycARTICLES,

PsycINFO, SAGE Journals, and the SOCIndex.. The key search terms included employee

engagement, disengagement, leadership, organizational benefits, engagement in the work

place, disengagement productivity, motivation theory, social theory, psychological

theory, and communication theories.

The objective of this study was to understand and report the lived experiences

regarding employee engagement from the perspective of staff in the university system in

the United States. The research questions for this study were:

RQ1: What are the lived experiences of Georgia university system employees

regarding employee engagement?

RQ2: What factors do staff employees identify as the greatest influence on

employee engagement?

Additionally, there is a discussion of literature about university systems, leadership

styles, organizational climate, and social change.

Conceptual Framework

The concept of employee engagement is always becoming popular and essential

in the workplace. The personal engagement theory was used in the research. Kahn (1990)

found that there were three psychological conditions related to engagement or

disengagement at work: Meaningfulness, safety, and availability. He suggested that

personal commitment is “the harnessing of organization members to their work role” (p.

7). Kahn developed the personal engagement theory, which researchers have used in both

22

academic and professional studies relating to employee engagement. Kahn’s approach

measures engagement or disengagement levels of employees through commitment in the

workplace. Employees become physically involved in their tasks, whether in a group

setting or alone, and become cognitively observant and empathically connected to the

individuals while completing a job through a personal connection.

Schuck and Wollard (2013) proposed to define employee engagement as an

individual employee’s cognitive, emotional, and behavioral state directed towards desired

organizational outcomes. Vanpoucke and Vereecke (2010) believed that leaders’

behavior influences organizational success. Leaders’ communication behavior is a

determining factor in the quality of information sharing, with a degree of feedback from

organization members. Employees equate the communication style of the leader with the

leadership employed. Bakker, Albrecht, and Leiter (2011) suggested that effective

communication is an important driver of employee engagement.

Employee engagement involves an array of methodologies, hypotheses, and

propositions (Adler, 2012). Engagement is a wide-ranging concept embracing an

assortment of approaches, definitions, and measures. Energetic employees are highly

motivated and focused on organizational goals (Kataria et al., 2012). Engaged employees

are energized and optimistic (Gruman, & Saks, 2011).Organizational research studies are

beginning to report these positive indications of employee engagement in association

with organizational citizenship behaviors (Kataria, et al., 2012).

Kataria, Garg, and Rastogi (2012), defined organizational citizenship behavior as

an approach of engaged employees towards work and organization. The engagement of a

23

motivated employee drives organizational citizenship behavior and creates a holistic

framework for positive psychological, social, and organizational context of work. In the

conceptualization of employee engagement, focuses on employees’ work engagement

(Bakker, Albrecht, & Leiter, 2011). Motivation theories suggest the mental state of the

employee that drives motivation for engagement (Bledow, Schmitt, Frese, & Kuhnel,

2011); social theories identify engagement as ethical behaviors driven by cognitive moral

development (Glavas, 2012) while Kataria et al., (2012) indicated that psychological

theories identify concepts of engagement in association with work creativity, safety

climate, and resource availability.

Conceptual Foundation

Kataria et al. (2012) performed a retrospective analysis of existing theoretical and

empirical research studies supporting the associative interrelationship between

organizational citizenship behavior, employee engagement, and organizational

effectiveness. The causal relationship between organizational effectiveness and employee

engagement establishes positive organizational performance and esteemed workplace

behavior (Kataria, et al, 2012). Grant (2008) introduced the concepts of employee

behavior and organizational success with the Hawthorne studies. In addition, Grant

(2008) used the two concepts to describe the relationship between employees and work.

There are many definitions of employee engagement. Pedrycz, Russo, and Succi

(2011) defined employee engagement as having an understanding of the organization’s

business strategy and a commitment to its success. Ariani (2013) noted that a significant

positive relationship exists between employee engagement and employees who had a

24

commitment to the organization. Truss, Shantz, Soane, Alfes and Delbridge (2013),

defined engagement as “an individual’s sense of purpose and focused energy, evident to

others in the display of personal initiative, adaptability, effort, and persistence directed

toward organizational goals” (p. 7). Shuck and Reio (2014) saw engagement as having

three components: emotional engagement, cognitive engagement, and physical

engagement. Emotional engagement refers to the emotional involvement in one’s work.

Cognitive engagement refers to sustained attention and mental effort given by an

individual at work. Finally, physical engagement refers to the willingness to put forth

discretionary effort towards an individual’s work. According to Schuck and Wollard

(2013), employee engagement is a mutual contract between the organization and its

employees. Organizations have a responsibility to train employees and build a

meaningful workplace. Further, employees have a responsibility to make meaningful

contributions. The mutual contract created by employee engagement describes the

expectations for organizations within the employment relationship. When organizations

do not fulfill their part of the contract, employee engagement decreases (Schuck &

Wollard, 2013).

Employee engagement has become increasingly topical in the management

literature and, in particular, the human resources (HR) professional community (Shuck,

Reio, 2011). Applied research and HR consulting firms have marketed the connections

between this term and a variety of desirable business outcomes, including reduced

turnover and productivity gains. Beyond improved shareholder returns, Van Rooy,

Whiteman, Hart, and Caleo (2011) claimed that employee engagement is linked with

25

reduced absenteeism, better customer feedback, less shrinkage of inventory, and higher

sales. Correlational research suggested the outcomes of engagement are indeed

impressive, as they speak directly to business results (Ludwig & Frazier 2012). Employee

engagement derives higher revenue (Watson, 2012; Saks & Gruman, 2014).

Organizations in the top quartile of employee engagement accrued 1% to 4%

more in organizational profits annually (Harter, Schmidt, Asplund, Killham & Agrawal,

2010). Empirical studies have also identified a linkage between employee engagement

and increased productivity, reduced absenteeism, and higher levels of discretionary

behavior. Although the term employee engagement resonates strongly within the business

community, researchers have taken a more cautious approach towards acceptance,

viewing employee engagement more as an amalgamation of prior research in the work

attitude arena. For example, studies have focused on linking employee engagement to job

involvement, psychological empowerment, job satisfaction, and employee commitment.

Beyond efforts to distinguish engagement from other established constructs,

research has also focused on the degree to which employee engagement is an attitude or

behavior. Others have attempted to confirm whether it is an individual or group

phenomenon. Based on this tapestry of research perspectives, scholars have suggested

that the term’s greatest utility may be derived from its use as a means of describing

behavioral outcomes associated with established work attitude constructs. This study will

follow an inquiry logic that positions employee engagement as a multi-dimensional term,

which aggregates desirable work attitude outcomes, including reduced turnover and

discretionary efforts. To understand the varied dimensions of employee engagement and

26

to position the word within the context of this study, a review of the work attitude

literature will be conducted in order to focus on the construct Employee Engagement

Based on meta-analysis studies, these two constructs are the most frequently cited in the

engagement studies. Additionally, the discussion will highlight three components that

seem to permeate employee engagement literature, including emotional (affective)

attachment, cognitive commitment, and behavioral outcomes (Conteh, 2016).

Literature Review Related to Key Concepts

Employee Engagement Theory

Adler (2012) believed employee engagement has become a primary focus for both

research and practice around the world. The mechanisms of engagement approaches

range from social psychology to developmental psychology to philosophy and ethics

(Glavas, 2012). Bhatnager (2012) indicated engagement is a direct measurement of

organizational effectiveness as job performance, quality, output, business growth, and

profits. Soieb, Othman, and D’Silva (2013) defined engagement as “a strong bond

between oneself and the job responsibility where people fully express themselves

physically, cognitively, and emotionally” (p. 92).

Employee engagement creates a framework for building commitment based on

inspiring, rewarding, and involving employees in collaborative actions with human

resource (Mone, Eisinger, Guggenheim, Price, & Stine, 2011). The effective shift model

of work engagement is the assumption that both positive and negative effects have

important functions for work participation (Bledow, Schmitt, Frese, & Kuhnel, 2011).

Work engagement is the involvement of the self and the presence of positive work-

27

related feelings (Rich, Lepine, & Crawford, 2010). Bakker, Albrecht, and Leiter (2012)

emphasized organizations’ need for “employees who are connected to their work and able

to invest themselves fully in their roles, and who are proactive and committed to high-

quality performance standards” (P. 5).

Challenges of Employee Engagement

Challenges within organizations may influence the amount of work and

performance of the individual and the organization. Much of the literature on employee

engagement has focused on the benefits and drivers of engagement (Bakker, &

Demerouti, 2008) However, there is little emphasis on implementation challenges and

understanding how employees view participation. According to Robertson & Cooper

(2010), one of the barriers to achieving employee engagement is bureaucracy, as the

bureaucratic structure of organizations significantly affects its potential to engage its

employees. In addition, the findings of Mosadeghrad and Ansarian (2014) concluded that

the workload, accompanied by poor management and ineffective communication, are key

challenges to employee engagement.

Drivers of Employee Engagement

A challenge that may occur in building engagement is based on how employees

feel about their work experience (James, McKechnie & Swanberg, 2011). Fundamentally,

engagement is about whether or not an employee desires to put discretionary effort into

the job. Shuck and Rose (2013) argued that engaged employees exhibit apparent

behaviors such as belief in the organization, desire to improve their work, understanding

of the business strategy, and collaborating with and assisting colleagues. In addition,

28

engaged employees demonstrate extra effort in their work, and continually enhancing

their skill set and knowledge base.

James, McKechnie & Swanberg (2011) described varying levels of engagement

that employees can experience at work. Employees tend to be engaged or actively

disengaged. Engaged employees feel connected to their work and work with passion.

Uninterested employees participate at work but are considered timeserving and do not

have a passion for their work. Actively disengaged employees are unhappy at work and

act out their unhappiness in the workplace through workplace deviant behaviors. There

are several drivers of employee engagement. However, two key elements are particularly

critical in closing the engagement gap: having a sense of value and involvement in the

values of the organization’s leadership (Shuck & Rose, 2013).

The strongest driver of employee engagement is having a sense of feeling valued

and involved. Organizations need to understand the voice of the employee and conduct

diligence to understand employees’ needs, issues, and values (Bakker & Demerouti,

2008). Several key components contribute to feeling valued and involved: involvement in

decision-making, ability to voice their ideas, opportunities to develop their jobs, and the

extent to which the organization demonstrates care for its employees.

Shuck and Herd (2012) noted several generalizations that contribute to varying

levels of employee engagement within organizations. First, as employees get older, their

participation declines compared to when they were young. Similarly, there is an indirect

correlation between participation and time of service. As the time of service increases,

participation decreases. Minority and ethnic employees typically demonstrate higher

29

levels of engagement than their white counterparts do. Further, management usually

shows greater participation than the employee population. Negative experiences at work,

such as an accident or experiencing harassment, have an adverse impact on participation.

Employees who have career development plans in place, as well as those who recently

received a performance evaluation, have higher levels of participation. Additionally, an

organization must have an engaged leadership team. According to Shuck and Herd

(2012), ten critical leadership capabilities are essential to engaging employees, they are

building trust, building esteem, communicating effectively, and building an enjoyable

and fulfilling work environment. Other critical capabilities include being flexible in

understanding individual needs, developing talent and coaching team members, as well

and reinforcing high levels of performance. Three additional critical capabilities are

engaging necessary knowledge, monitoring engagement issues, and identifying

appropriate members for the team.

Significance of Employee Engagement

Human resources consulting firms have used employee engagement as a

marketing initiative related to organizational performance (Tilman, Smith, & Tilman,

2011). Employee engagement has captured the attention of corporate leaders because it

can drive the bottom-line of an organization. In addition, engagement has been utilized as

an interpretive tool for how well an organization will perform financially. Employee

engagement has a long history because of the payoff it can add to an organization and the

value it can add to the well-being of an employee. Researchers have differing opinions

concerning the concepts of engagement (Nimon, Zigarmi, Houson, Witt, & Diehl, 2011).

30

At the onset of trying to understand what caused job satisfaction, researchers

developed a theory called organizational commitment. Employee organizational

commitment occurs when employees align with the organization’s goals and values.

These employees perform beyond management’s expectations in an effort to become as

one with the organization. In recent years, the term “employee engagement” replaced

organizational commitment (Eversole, Venneberg, & Crowder, 2012). An organization

lacking engaged employees or abundant with disengaged employees can experience

adverse effects. Despite the increased awareness of how valuable employee engagement

is to organizations, several organizational surveys revealed that the number of engaged

employees is small. Singh and Loncar (2010) conducted a study that showed that 21% of

the 90,000 employees surveyed worldwide were engaged while at work, and 38% were

partly disengaged.

The attitude of today’s workforce differs from that of the past in that today’s

employees seek meaningful outcomes. Employees of today find jobs that will provide

them with a feeling of accomplishment, as well as a sense that compensation matches

their services (Tilman, Smith, & Tilman, 2011). The term engagement, according to

Doherty (2010) is about respect from all aspects of an organization; respect happens

when both employer and employee are willing participants in the culture and are

committed to the organization’s objectives. When employees align with and embrace the

organization’s culture and goals, they are in the right job. When managers select people,

who have the right skill set and understand the mission and goals of the organization, the

payoffs for the organization are tangible.

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Whittington and Galpin (2010) revealed that employees had a strong desire to

engage in meaningful work. According to Watson (2012), a meaningful job for

employees yielded higher employee engagement, increased production, and reduced

turnover. In addition, Watson indicated that organizations have done a less than stellar

job at providing employees with meaningful work experiences, with tools, or with

inspiration. Of the 40,000 respondents in their study, only 17% were identified as being

highly engaged. Watson (2012) revealed a correlation between employee engagement,

employee performance, and reduced turnover. It is more likely for a highly-engaged

employee to remain passionate and aligned with the organization’s overall goals and

mission.

The Society for Human Resource Management (2012), journal article indicated

that company’s one difficult task is developing an engaged workforce. Organizations are

cognizant that when the job markets improve, they may see an increase in employee

turnover. In addition, a Job Retention Poll conducted by the Society for Human Resource

Management (2012) showed that 76% of employed individuals are likely to seek another

job for better conditions. The data represented employees who did not align with their

organization, because they were performing work that was meaningless to them.

Whittington and Galpin (2010) asserted that most organizations have disengaged

employees; and the concern is for the number of disengaged employees to decrease, to

have a culture of engaged employees.

Craig (2015), employers reported that strategies for retaining employees were of

paramount importance, and such policies would result in a restructuring of the workplace.

32

Employees may experience meaningful work if they see their performance add to the

success of the organization. Employees may also experience meaningful work when the

job they perform is aligned with who they identify themselves to be. According to

Doherty (2010), the number one indicator of a company’s stability is the level of

employee engagement; customer satisfaction and financial performance were named as

the second and third indicators respectively. Welch (2011), further asserted that

regardless of the size of a company, none would be satisfactory in the absence of

enthusiastic employees who live the organization’s mission. Leaders must appreciate the

impact working conditions have on their employees. There can be a significant financial

impact on an organization when employees in key roles leave the group (Pepe, 2010).

Employee engagement is critical because of its direct, positive relationship to

increased profits. Franchises listed in the top 20% of employee retention are reported as

having a 55% higher profit margin when compared to those franchisees listed in the

lower 20% for employee retention (Doherty, 2010). Shuck and Wollard (2013) reported

that the Ritz-Carlton leaders know that its employees are responsible for satisfied

customers, which positively affects their financial success (Shuck & Wollard, 2010).

According to Doherty (2010), a culture of engaged employees is necessary for

organizational innovation. A deficit of engaged employees may limit the number of new

ideas and products a company can expect. The Gallup Organization (2013) indicated that

their research on engagement began in the early 1990s. The Gallup Organization

developed the Gallup Q12 Employee Engagement Index after completing several

hundred focus group sessions and analyzing the results of one million employees and

33

80,000 supervisors surveyed. The Gallup Management Journal (2013) presented their

global follow-up study on engagement. The Gallup study revealed that of the 1,000 adults

sampled, 17% were actively disengaged, 54% were not engaged, and 29% were engaged.

Low productivity of disengaged employees results in an expense of $300 billion

a year for U.S. businesses. Engagement is the critical missing component organizations

require to be successful. Employee engagement and commitment have become relevant

constructs in organizational research due to its potential outcomes of positive employee

behaviors, retention, and organizational performance. Engaged employees care about the

success of the organization and are passionate about their jobs. Engaged employees live

and believe in the organization’s mission. According to Singh & Loncar (2010), there do

their leaders in the organization value a positive relationship between employee

engagement and employees feeling. As a result, organizations experience higher levels of

financial performance and increased employee retention. Schuck and Wollard (2013)

reported engaged employees spread feelings of engagement and team loyalty. An

engaged employee also aids in the development of positive customer relationships,

resulting in a better financial performance for the organization (Schuck & Wollard,

2013).

Employee Commitment

Management’s commitment to and awareness of employee engagement is evident

through relevant organizational policies, practices, and procedures. Employee-

engagement evaluations appraise managerial performance in many organizations.

Consistency of administrative words, actions, and moral perceptions relate positively to

34

employee engagement (Wang & Hsieh, 2013). Best industry practices identify results-

based performance management as the practical, proven, and effective way to get

organizations to focus on achievements (Adler, 2012). The management model of

engagement is driven primarily by financial metrics; however, studies suggest that profit

alone does not move employee engagement (Glavas, 2012).

Engagement is based on trust and commitment. Organizational leaders who

concentrate on effective communication manage differently from leaders of organizations

who do not place much emphasis on commitment (Adler, 2012). Company leaders who

encourage effective communication continuously work to improve the effectiveness of

the commitment of employees, and the leaders measure the impact of commitment on the

critical business metrics. Also, Adler (2012) indicated that leaders can encourage or

create informal and collegial work across the different levels in the organization and

various generations of workers to be committed in a workplace.

Motivation Theory

Yudhvir and Sunita (2012) defined motivation as the processes that accounts for

an individual’s intensity, direction, and persistence of efforts toward attaining a goal. In

most cases, motivation stems from a need that must be fulfilled and this in turn leads to a

specific behavior. Fulfillment of needs results in some type of reward, which can be

either intrinsic or extrinsic. Motivation researchers are increasingly interested in how

motivation and cognition influence one another (Aron, Lewandowski, Mashek, & Aron,

2013). Employee motivation is the key factor in influencing their performance in the

workplace (Gallup, 2013)

35

Each organization and business need to be profitable and thus requires engaged

employees. The current times are exceedingly competitive, and organizations,

irrespective of size and innovation, are confronted with employee challenges (Josefy,

Kuban, Ireland, & Hitt, 2015). To conquer these limitations, positive relationships should

be encouraged between employees and their organizations. Employees of any

organization are the most valuable, to have impact towards task accomplishment

(Bledow, Schmitt, Frese, & Kühnel, 2011). White’s (2011) survey indicated that

employees are engaged for what they can give; the disengaged employees stay for what

they can get. When employees are self-driven, motivation and passion to work override

compensation models and performance management systems.

Maslow's Hierarchy (1970) described the five levels of needs: 1) Physiological -

food and other subsistence's; 2) Safety - shelter and healthy work environment; 3)

Belonging - desire for social contact; 4) Esteem - recognition and positive regards; and 5)

Self-actualization - desire for achievement. Maslow's description of needs is classified

into intrinsic and extrinsic motivators. Herzberg utilized Maslow's theory of motivation

as a foundation for his Two-Factor Motivator/Hygiene Theory, the first one is Hygiene:

company policy, administration, and work conditions and the second one is Motivators:

advancements, recognition for achievements and growth.

In addition, Deci and Ryan (2008) proposed the self-determination theory, which

builds on intrinsic and extrinsic motivators. Intrinsic motivators focus on internal thought

process and perception about motivation, as opposed to extrinsic motivators, or external

factors, and their role in understanding employee motivation. According to Yudhvir and

36

Sunita (2012), motivation in the workplace depends on the employee's intrinsic and

extrinsic needs or goals, age, cultural background, and motivation to learn.

The concept of emotional contagion is the idea that that engaged workers who

take advantage of opportunities to socially spread their enthusiasm and engagement to

coworkers create whole teams that are highly engaged (Weiss & Rupp, 2011). Here,

intrinsic motivation engages the employee by way of internal enjoyment of and interest in

work activities. In contrast, extrinsic motivation exposes the craving for increased

compensation or the avoidance of penance as a means for engagement. Sustained

intrinsic motivation maximizes task efficiency and engagement to achieve organizational

effectiveness (Kataria, Garg, & Rastogi, 2012).

According to Manzoor (2012), motivation is a thought process, "a need or desire

that causes a man to act" (p. 2). Rouse asserted that motivation characterizes

demonstration or procedure of rousing. Therefore, motivation is the execution or system

of displaying an aim that causes a person to achieve. Kamalian, Yaghoubi and Moloudi

(2010) depicted motivation as a power that fortifies conduct, gives the cause to do, and

triggers the inclination to proceed with. This clarification indicates that with a particular

end goal to accomplish guaranteed targets, people must be perceptible, and what's more,

be clear about their destinations. In their perspective, it is an inner drive to fulfill an

unsatisfied need and the will to accomplish. Motivation is a method that starts with a

physiological or mental need that invigorates an execution planned at a target. It is the

closing result of the interface between personality behavior and organizational

37

uniqueness. It symbolizes a mental technique that establishes the incitement, course, and

determination of intentional activities that are target arranged (Manzoor, 2012).

Additionally, motivation is defined as an accrual of diverse routes supporting

objectives and coordinated conduct (Bhuvanaiah & Raya, 2015). Furthermore, motivation

is an accumulation of different courses that control and express our goal to accomplish

some specific desire (Bhuvanaiah & Raya, 2015). Motivation supports communication

and proceeds with behavior. The motivation of an individual conceals all the thought

processes in which he chooses to work within a distinct methodology.

Employee Motivation

Motivating employees can be tricky business. Leaders often do not understand

the concept of motivation well enough to put it in practice. Creating employee

motivation requires leadership in an organization to engage with the learning process of

their employees. The performance evaluations of employees are based on performance

appraisals, employee motivation, employee satisfaction, compensation, training,

development, and job security. Employee motivation is the key factor to influencing the

job performance of employees in the workplace (Gallup, 2013).

Successful management seeks new ways to continue motivating employees to

increase their role in leadership with the organization. A motivated employee focuses

on achieving success while obtaining goals and objectives. Rutherford (2010) stated that

motivation influences the success of an organization. Because there are several different

staff within the university system with different perceptions and lived experiences, the

level of motivation may impact the administrative staff, custodial, staff, and IT staff

38

differently. The employees find creative ways to complete job assignments. Challenging

employees to perform their best using motivation can be the greatest test for leadership

(Chaudary, 2012).

Among the financial, economic, and human assets, the latter are most crucial

and have the capacity to bless an organization with an aggressive edge when contrasted

with others (Bhuvanaiah & Raya, 2015). One function of a leader is to expand

employee motivation in the organization (Manzoor, 2012). Leaders tend to have

misconceptions about motivation. It is important to assess and understand such

misconceptions in an effort to become better leaders.

Many leaders are not as good at identifying employee motivation as they think

they are (Manzoor, 2012). The thought is that all motivation must be intrinsic. This is

because a combination of factors motivates employees, as people spend approximately

one - third of their lives at work, and leaders need to recognize that the work place is

one of the most important aspects of an employee's identity (Gallup, 2013). Getting

employees to try their best to work even in strenuous circumstances is one of the

employer's most consistent difficulties. Nobody lives up to expectations free of charge,

nor should they (Manzoor, 2012)

Cash is the essential actuation; no other motivation or motivational system comes

near to it as for its powerful esteem (Bell & Martin, 2012). It has the matchless quality to

charge, keep up, and rouse people towards higher performance. Bell and Martin (2012),

described money as the most crucial consideration persuading the modern laborers to

achieve more noteworthy gainfulness. Greater awareness and better understanding of

39

motivation will result in better management. The organization can continue to be

profitable and keep the staff engaged in the workplace in academia.

Empowerment

According to Lee, Kim, Son, & Kim, (2015), empowerment is permitting

employees to participate in the development of decision-making within an organization.

Empowering is giving authority and liberating employees to perform their duties

efficiently. The primary objective that initiates empowerment is when control is given to

employees in order to determine how jobs are completed. Employees want to feel

appreciated and empowered on the job and to have a sense of ownership in their work

Lee, et al., (2015). Empowering motivates employees. Positive feedback on performance

adds value to an organization’s reputation.

Empowerment benefits the organization (Schuck & Wollard, 2010). Employees

feel a sense of special recognition and pride. A win-win relationship creates a positive

situation for both parties. There are factors that contribute to enhancing employee

motivation such as: 1) Fair pay and incentives; 2) Leadership and encouragement; 3)

Trust and respect; 4) Joint decision-making and quality of supervision; 5) Adequate

working relationships, recognition and appreciation; 6) Chances for growth and loyalty

within the organization, 7) Identification and fulfillment of personal needs; and 8)

Information availability and transparency (Yazdani, Yaghoubi & Giri, 2011).

Empowering workers gives advantages to an organization; it can cause people to take

pride in their work. Employees execute their finest curiosities and considerations with the

feeling of having a place, energy, and enjoyment, in enabled organizations. In addition,

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they work with an awareness of others’ expectations and favor advantages of the

organizations to their own (Manzoor, 2012).

Trust is the key to having excellent teamwork in the workplace. In the event that

an organization needs to improve and be effective, trust assumes a critical part, to

guarantee its presence and improve employee motivation (Manzoor, 2012). It can make

an intrapersonal and interpersonal impact on the relationship with the organization

(Manzoor, 2012). In addition, regardless of how important an organization may be, high

productivity relies on the level of motivation and the effectiveness of the workforce, so

staff training is essential for inspiring employees.

One way leaders can impel motivation is through transparency (Chaudary, 2012).

Baldoni (2015), in his article Leader to Leader, indicated that empowerment and

recognition persuade individuals to work. He explains that empowerment gives

individuals the obligation and power to act, as it places people in control. In addition,

Baldoni stated that it is important to humankind everyone is recognized for the work he

or she has done. (Manzoor, 2012). Manzoor (2012), stated empowerment and recognition

play a vital role in enhancing employee motivation towards organizational projects. Thus,

the motivation of employees towards the accomplishment of tasks increases with

motivation. (Manzoor, 2012).

Recognition

Establishing a balance in the workplace is one of the main reasons to reward and

recognize employees. Organizations that follow a model approach to creating this balance

focus on the three main components of employee motivation, which include recognition,

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empowerment, and organizational effectiveness (Ghosh, Satyawadi, Prasad Joshi &

Shadman, 2013). Khan, Farooq, and Ullah (2010) conducted a study of the relationship

between rewards and employee motivation in commercial banks of Pakistan. The study

focused on four types of compensation and tested the recognition through Pearson

correlation. The results showed recognition significantly correlates (0.65) with employee

work motivation. This supports the hypothesis that there is a significant relationship

between job content, work motivation, and satisfaction. The second study showed that

there is a significant (r=0.13, p 0.05) relationship between recognition and employee

work motivation (Haider, Ahmad, Farooq, Parveen, 2014).

Psychosociological Theory

Kataria, Garg, and Rastogi (2012) believed the psychological mechanism of

engagement drives Organizational Citizenship Behavior and organizational effectiveness.

In their study, they emphasized the connection between work engagement and employee

engagement; here, engagement is the experience of the work itself interpreted by the

employee. Shuck and Herd (2012) defined psychological theory as a new construct of a

psychosocial safety climate that influences senior management’s effect on working

conditions and employee engagement. A longitudinal study of workers within education

predicted changes in individual psychological distress and emotional exhaustion through

the relationship with work pressure and emotional demands. Data revealed that

individuals in academia experience mental health problems because of job demands.

However, those who experienced a psychologically safe teamwork environment, “a

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shared belief held by a work team” were free to engage in the interpersonal risk-taking

behavior necessary for learning (Shuck & Herd, 2012).

Policies, practices, and procedures for the protection of employee psychosocial

health are imperative. Positive psychosocial health allows for freedom from

psychological and social risk or harm for productive engagement. Mental health

moderates the positive relationship between employee engagement and job demands,

such that motivational pathways are triggered (Shuck & Herd, 2012). Studies contribute

notions of employee engagement as a significant predecessor to organizational

effectiveness and Organizational Citizenship Behavior (Kataria, Garg, & Rastogi, 2012).

Bakker, Albrecht, and Leiter (2011) emphasized the organizations’ need for employees

who psychologically connect to their work, and who are able to invest themselves fully in

their roles, who are proactive and committed to high quality performance standards.

Social Exchange Theory

The suggestion for the basic tenet of SET is that relationships evolve over time

into trusting, loyal, and mutual commitments as long as the parties abide by certain

“rules” of change. Xanthopoulou, Bakker, Demerouti, & Schaufeli (2012) elaborated this

tenet, saying, “Advantageous and fair social exchanges lead to healthy relationships that

produce effective work behaviors and positive employee attitudes” (p. 241). They

believed that social exchange relationships involved a series of interactions that generate

unspecified obligations. Individuals feel obliged to respond in kind and repay the

organization when they receive economic and socio-emotional resources from their

organization.

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Rich, Lepine and Crawford (2010) stated that, “One way for individuals to repay

their organization is through their level of engagement; employees will choose to engage

themselves to varying degrees in response to the resources they receive from their

organization” (p. 603). Employees tend to exchange their engagement for resources and

benefits provided by their employer (Pedrycz, Russo & Succi, 2011). Therefore, when

employees are autonomous, receive support, and have opportunities for development,

they are likely to reciprocate by showing higher levels of engagement. Pedrycz et al.,

(2011) tested the model of the antecedents and consequences of job and organization

commitment based on existing models of engagement. In addition, he found that

perceived organizational support (POS) predicts both job and organization participation.

Job characteristics predict job commitment and procedural justice predicts team

participation. Employees seem to reciprocate with greater levels of job and organization

involvement because of the obligation created by the caring and concern associated with

perceived organizational support. Employee engagement can drive the bottom-line of the

university system and its well-being. Therefore, I believe the leaders are interested in the

subject of engagement.

Skarzauskiene’s (2010) research provided a rational explanation for employee

engagement based on social exchange theory, and this was in accordance with many

other studies. In addition, Skarzauskiene (2010) concluded that a lack of reciprocity, or

imbalanced social exchange processes, is predictive of burnout. Skarzauskiene (2010)

further found that imbalanced social exchange, such as organizations expecting more

from their employees and providing little in return other than a job or employability,

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resulted in increasing employee cynicism and mistrust. In addition, social exchange

positively relates to employee’s feelings of perceived organizational support and affective

commitment, and contextual performance behaviors. Universities should be working

constantly to develop and create positive engagement in order to gain the benefits for

having a positive, engaged workplace.

Skarzauskiene (2010) was able to interpret results based on SET, and found that,

“employees who perceived that the organization cares about their well-being through

adequate resource allocation, are more likely to be motivated and engaged” (p. 582). This

theoretical position argues that the dominant force in interpersonal relationships is the

satisfaction of both people’s self-interest (Skarzauskiene, 2010). Theorists in Social

Exchange posit that self-interest is not necessarily a bad thing and that it can enhance

relationships. In the social exchange approach, interpersonal exchange is analogous to

economic exchange, where people are satisfied when they receive a fair return on their

expenditures (Erickson, Weber & Segovia, 2011).

Cognitive Dissonance Theory is entirely opposite to Communication

Accommodation Theory and Social Exchange Theory. According to Cognitive

Dissonance Theory, people who follow this communication strategy tend to be

conservative. They keep their opinions strictly into their favorite perspective, and try to

avoid others’ opinions. Communication Accommodation Theory and Social Exchange

Theory support people in adjusting their communication styles in order to find common

voice in communication (Erickson et al., 2011).

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However, there is a difference between Communication Accommodation Theory

and Social Exchange Theory. During a conversation, people will try to accommodate or

adjust their style of speaking to others within the context of Communication

Accommodation Theory, especially when they are powerless individuals and try to find

social approval. On the other hand, based on Social Exchange Theory, people

communicate and exchange their self-interest so that they are both satisfied with the

communication (Erickson et al., 2011).

Leadership and Employee Engagement

The role of the leader is vital for making worker engagement practices; but,

knowledge reveals very little regarding leadership and its impact (Adler, 2012).

Leadership commitment and awareness of worker engagement vary across organizations.

The practical ideas of effective leadership establish its effects on worker structure

citizenship behavior, the continuance of structure commitment, job satisfaction, job

involvement, positive affectivity, low burnout, vigor, optimism, vitality, personal

initiative, and learning orientation (Newman & Harrison, 2008). Adler (2012) counseled

the following leadership practices: The leaders set organization, division, department

goals; supervisors and workers set objectives and discuss behaviors, and expectations;

supervisors and workers hold in progress performance discussions.

The literature offered possible leadership objectives joined to the organization’s

goals, with substantive performance measures that postulate results and behaviors,

competencies, and strategic communication plans (Newman & Harrison, 2008). Leaders

who invest in their employees’ well-being through adequate resource allocation square

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measure a lot of probably to boost motivation and engagement. Substantial meta-analysis

joined management vogue to commitment. The empirical proof showed a powerful

predictor of involvement with communication practices. Leadership might offset the

impact of worker engagement and structure climate conditions. Distal longitudinal

implications for leadership via management support and commitment square measure

necessary for worker engagement. The adoption of acceptable values and philosophies

with adequate out there resources for geographic point changes helps to modify the

mixing of worker engagement activities into conventional management systems (Glavas,

& Godwin, 2013).

Schuck and Herd (2012) noted that poor leadership is often from worker

disengagement. Consistent with Walumbwa, Hartnell, and Oke (2010), a 3rd of workers

rate their supervisors as truthful or poor. Workers hold their organizations within the

same think of their management. Further, workers can keep longer and contribute a lot to

organizations wherever they need sensible relationships and open dialogue with their

immediate supervisors. Leadership may be a method of actions to realize goals and to

boost the organization. Dollard and Bakker (2010), states that leaders outline culture by

their efforts. Transformational leaders demonstrate a capability to inspire workers

towards the accomplishment of structure goals.

Transformational leaders produce a foundation of integrity, trust, and community

among organizations and instill pride, vision, and high expectations throughout the

organization (Pepe, 2010). Consistent with Pepe (2010), future structure leaders would

force a broader set of dynamic skills. Further, Kouzes and Posner (2011) delineate five

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practices of effective leadership: (1) Model the approach (2) Inspire a shared vision (3)

Challenge the method (4) modify others to act, and 5) Encourage the guts. Kouzes and

Posner instructed that leaders who master these five practices may accomplish

extraordinary things in their organizations. A leader’s talent in exhibiting leadership traits

helps to achieve followership. Further, these traits inspire confidence in the leader’s

leadership skills. Not demonstrating these traits decreases a leader’s ability to influence

and effectively lead in organizations.

Crawford, LePine and Rich (2010), evaluated six case studies to work out the

correlation between leadership vogue, worker perception, and therefore the

implementation of structure amendment. The primary research, Facilitating structure

Change: A take a look at of Leadership ways instructed that however, leadership frames

any structure amendment is essential too; however, the message from the individuals

throughout the organization understand the word. The second study, associate degree

investigation into the amount and Impact of Merger Activity Amongst Hospitals within

the UK’s National Health Service, incontestable a transparent link between the actual

winning outcomes of a merger and therefore the active involvement of key stakeholders.

The third study, The Impact of Corporatization and National Competition Policy

by Crawford et al., (2010) showed that instructional leadership resulted in the more

significant participation of workers within the amendment method, and enhanced

communication from structure leaders to workers.

The fourth study, Leadership vogue and Post-Merger Satisfaction, proved

incontestable that workers were much happy once management engaged them throughout

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the amendment method and uncontestable less powerful. The study additionally

determined that transformational leadership result in the highest worker satisfaction,

whereas great administration resulted in the lowest worker satisfaction scores. The fifth

study, bestowed within the article the event of life to assess structure amendment (James,

McKechnie and Swanberg, 2011), finished that workers responded absolutely to structure

amendment efforts once open communications, established trust, and proactive

preparation for the amendment were evident within the amendment method.

A sixth study, according to James, McKenzie, and Swanberg (2011), stated that

no matter the sort of amendment poignant the organization, the favored leadership

strategies for amendment implementation did not vary. Conclusions by James et al.,

(2011) enclosed four themes that leaders ought to take into account before implementing

structure amendment. First, leaders should not underestimate the impact of workers on

structure amendment outcomes. Second, worker resistance is natural in amendment

implementation. However, characteristic the optimum leadership fashion is critical to

beat worker resistance. Third, the transformational leadership vogue establishes success

in making open communication and trust, furthermore as garnering worker participation.

As a result, transformational leadership has a bonus over charismatic leadership.

Transformational Leadership

Transformational leadership refers to the leader transformation process in creating

sustainable change in the attitude and behavior of employees for moral elevation and

organization performance. The internal standard of transformational leadership

encourages adaptation of changes in employees in motivation and a sense of purpose.

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Soieb, Othman, and D’Silva, (2013) stated that transformational leadership style

enhances organizational commitment, which improves job performance. Sharma

Mohapatra and Rai (2013) indicated that motivation and job satisfaction advances

interpersonal relationships and communication.

Markos and Sridevi (2010) identified a healthy work environment as crucial to the

improvement of job performance. An employee’s trust is positively consistent with

managerial words and actions, which relate positively to employee engagement. The

employees’ perception of leadership style determines positive and negative associations

for engagement. DasGupta, Suar, and Singh (2014) stated that a combination of

significant problem solving and decision-making skills may be able to create compelling

leadership. Gaining specific mediating factors in active listening, communication,

conflict management, and moral discipline distinguishes the transformational leader, and

thus, positive employee engagement outcome (Soieb, Othman & D’Silva, 2013).

Communication Theories

Aertsen, Jaspaert and Van Gorp (2013) stated that theories help us make sense of

the world around us. Some theories are “grand” (think ideologies) while others are

narrow (think particular economic or scientific theories such as the theory of relativity).

However, regardless of their scope, all ideas shape how we make judgments about reality,

relationships, circumstances, and decisions in our lives. Erickson, Weber and Segovia

(2011) explained the cognitive dissonance theory as the experience of conflict (or

incompatible beliefs and actions) is unpleasant, and people are highly motivated to avoid

it. In their efforts to avoid feelings of conflict, people will avoid hearing views that

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oppose their own, change their beliefs to match their actions, and seek reassurance after

making a difficult decision (Erickson, Weber & Segovia, 2011).

Erickson, Weber and Segovia (2011) explained the nature of communication

accommodation theory, which examines the underlying motivations and consequences of

what happens when two speakers shift their communication styles. Communication

accommodation theorists argue that during conversation, people will try to accommodate

or adjust their style of speaking to others in one of two ways: Divergence and

Convergence. The styles of divergence groups with high ethnic or racial pride often use

change to highlight group identity. Convergence occurs when there is a high need for

social approval, frequently from powerless individuals (Erickson, Weber & Segovia,

2011).

The two basic types of communication are nonverbal and verbal. Nonverbal

communication includes behavioral communication such as eye contact, facial

expression, or body language. Verbal communication is any spoken communication such

as conversation, speech, or sound. When used correctly, each can be an effective method

of successful communication (Keyton, Caputo, Ford, Fu, Leibowitz, Liu & Wu, 2013).

Direct eye contact lets a speaker know that one is listening and receiving his or her

message. It also lends credibility to the message the speaker is trying to convey to the

listener. Facial expressions as nonverbal communication also tells a lot about what people

are thinking and feeling.

Smiling with wide eyes and an interested expression lets the speaker know the

listener is engaged in the conversation. A smile may give a new acquaintance a sense of

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affirmation and let that person know the listener is interested in learning more. A smile

gives other people a warm, welcome feeling. Nonverbal communication can sometimes

provide people with an optimistic and open attitude toward those they are

communicating. Verbal communication is the use of words to construct sentences.

Moreover, it is the most powerful and widely used form of communication. Effective

communicators use vocal variations and sounds. Vocal variations include tone, inflection,

and pitch. Listeners need this variation to maintain their interest in what the speaker is

saying. Studies have shown that most people immediately retain about 50% of what they

hear. After a few days, what people retain drops to 25%. A short, concise message has a

greater chance of sticking with the people in an audience (Sriram, 2014).

Listening is a key component of effective communication. Most communication

involves more than one participant. Audiences must hear the message someone is trying

to convey in order to communicate successfully and give adequate feedback. To ensure

that a message has been received, listeners should repeat back what they have heard the

person say (Sriram, 2014). An open mind is essential when communicating an idea,

feeling, or message. Speakers must understand that not every subject is black and white.

A person can be a successful communicator by finding the gray area. A listener should

remove all distractions in order to focus on the message sent (Sriram, 2014).

Communication Practice

According to the National Communication Association, communication is the

process of conveying information, ideas, or feelings (De Vries, Bakker-Pieper &

Oostenveld, 2010). Although there are just two types of communication, there are many

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unsuccessful ways to execute these types of communication. Simple miscommunication

can lead to the loss of a message or idea. It can also contribute to conflict. The discipline

of communication focuses on how people use messages to generate meanings within and

across various contexts, cultures, channels, and media. Communication promotes the

effective and ethical practice of the human process (De Vries et al., 2010). Furthermore,

communication is a diverse area that includes inquiry by social scientists, humanists, and

critical and cultural studies scholars. A body of scholarship, the theory of all forms of

human communication, is in the textbooks, electronic publications, and academic

journals.

Researchers report the results of studies that are the basis for an ever-expanding

understanding of how we all communicate (De Vries et al., 2010). Additionally, if we

communicate effectively, it can help us better understand a person or situation and enable

us to resolve differences. In addition, it will build trust, respect, and create environments

where creative ideas, problem solving, affection, and caring can flourish. As simple as

communication seems, much of what we try to communicate to others and what others

try to convey to us can be misunderstood, which can cause conflict and frustration in

personal and professional relationships. Thus, effective communication can improve

relationships at home, work, and in social situations by deepening our connections to

others and improving teamwork, decision-making, and problem solving. Effective

communication enables you to communicate even negative or difficult messages without

creating conflict or destroying trust. Effective communication combines a set of skills

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including nonverbal communication, attentive listening, and the ability to manage stress

(De Vries et al., 2010).

Impact of Communication on Leadership and Strategic Planning

The importance of effective communication for leaders is shown daily in all

organizations. Thus, effective leadership in any business requires knowing how to

communicate with all elements of the organization, including employees, other

supervisors, customers, and investors. Each group may require a different communication

style and leadership style. Leaders must be able to adapt based on the group they are

communicating with at the time. Effective communication skills are an important aspect

of any leader’s portfolio of skills and experience (De Vries, Bakker-Pieper & Oostenveld,

2010). Furthermore, a good leader can adapt his or her communication style depending

on the audience. When speaking to employees, the leader may need to have a much more

directive style than when he or she is delivering a presentation to the community or

speaking to customers.

Leaders should identify the audience and its characteristics and interests, and then

adjust their communication style based on what the audience needs and what will meet

the goals of the communication. Throughout the course of a day, the leader may have to

switch to an authoritative style with employees and to an inspiring style with

stockholders (Singh, 2012). For strategic planning, a leader’s communication strategy

varies depending on a team’s purpose, strategy, and posture. Contact with groups

possessing dominant market positions will likely be more formal, systematic, and direct,

in line with the discipline required to maintain that top position. Conversely, teams

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playing niches or creating completely new things will be better served by a more

informal, adaptive and reflective approach (De Vries et al., 2010).

Communication as it Enhances Human Resources

Keyton, Caputo, Ford, Fu, Leibowitz, Liu & Wu (2013), stated human resources

provides a way for employees to be social in the context of their everyday work; it paves

the way for enhanced collaboration and communication throughout the enterprise. This in

turn encourages productivity, passion, and commitment. Apparently, communication

enhances employee motivation and dedication to the company. In addition,

communication fosters teamwork (Keyton, Caputo, Ford, Fu, Leibowitz, Liu & Wu,

2013). Then communication among staff must be encouraged to ensure that all energies

focus on that goal. Thus, communication can inspire productive staff input (Keyton,

Caputo, Ford, Fu, Leibowitz, Liu & Wu, 2013).

Various forms of communication from the human resources department are

essential for workplace structure. Human resources communications include guidelines,

policies, notices and procedures that help us manage our workforce. Communication

between human resources and the employee base is necessary to sustain employee

satisfaction and morale. When little or no interaction between human resources and the

workforce exists, productivity and performance may decline because employees feel they

are unappreciated and undervalued (Keyton et al., 2013). In addition, most relationships

are based on organizational communication.

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Communication as a Tool to Enhance Engagement

Communication helps connect people, when they can share and understand each

other more through effective communicating. Therefore, communication is essential to

building relationships between staff members and between levels of employees, both on

professional and social levels (Martins A., Donald, & Martins I., 2013). An atmosphere

of open communication makes it safe for employees to express their ideas; as a result,

managers will have the benefit of staff's combined experience in coming up with

innovative solutions. Communication prevents employees from feeling isolated, builds

teamwork, and creates a more collegial atmosphere in the office. When relationships are

strong, employees are better able to trust one another and they work together more

effectively. As a result, they can engage and contribute more to the company’s activities

and success (Karanges, Johnston, Beatson & Lings, 2015).

Moreover, in an organization, confusion and ambiguity can create negative

feelings and a tense atmosphere. By making roles and responsibilities clear to everyone

on staff, leaders can give their employees the information they need to get their jobs

done. Informing the staff is particularly important when employees come from different

backgrounds. Communication reduces misunderstandings and cuts the costs associated

with mistakes (Martins et al., 2013). Finally, communication can help employees

collaborate effectively, which will make for a more productive team overall. When an

organization has multiple departments, who are working on different facets of the same

project, communication can streamline the process and improve the result. When

members of the staff talk openly to each other, they can communicate potential issues,

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requirements, and feedback that can create better results. Communication can ensure that

everyone is on the same page and can prevent problems down the road (Martins et al.,

2013).

Organizational Climate

Senior management plays a significant role in setting the tone for the

organizational climate. Organizational climate refers to a collective understanding of

corporate policies, practices, and procedures (Shuck & Herd, 2012). Measurement tools

help to determine employees’ perceptions of management’s commitment and

performance regarding organizational policy, procedures, and practice. Organizations that

provide particular job resources such as work tools, performance feedback, supervisory

coaching, and autonomy, enhance engagement (Bakker, 2011). Official policies,

practices, and procedures measure components of most importance to the organization.

The integrative review of Kataria, Garg, and Rastogi (2012) suggested the development

of human resource practices and assessments to achieve value-based organizational

behavior and effectiveness. Organizational commitment has been determined to be a

central parameter for assessing employee engagement (Soieb, Othman, & D’Silva, 2013).

Messarra (2014) defined organizational climate as “a set of measurable properties

of the work environment, perceived directly or indirectly by people who live and work in

this environment and assumed to influence their motivation and behavior” (p.1).

Organizational climate refers to members’ perceptions of organizational features like

decision-making, leadership, and norms about work (Messarra, 2014).

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In addition, numerous aspects of work, such as leadership, structure, rewards, and

communication, characterize the organizational context in which people work. Climate

refers to perceptions of organizational practices reported by people who work there.

Common features of climate include communication (as describable, say, by openness),

conflict (constructive or dysfunctional), leadership (as it involves support or focus) and

reward emphasis (i.e., whether an organization is characterized by positive versus

negative feedback, or reward- or punishment-orientation). When studied together, they

said that organizational features are highly interrelated (e.g., leadership and rewards).

Climate characterizes practices at several levels in organizations (e.g., work unit climate

and organizational climate). However, studies of climate vary in the activities they focus

upon, such as for example, climates for safety or climates for service. Therefore, climate

is essentially a description of the work setting by those directly involved with it

(Messarra, 2014).

Randhawa and Kaur (2014) stated that the relationship of climate to employee

well-being (e.g., satisfaction, job stress) has been widely studied. Since climate measures

subsume the major organizational characteristics workers experience, virtually any study

of employee perceptions of their work may be considered a climate study. Researchers

Randhawa and Kaur (2014) conducted a study, which positively link climate features,

particularly leadership, communication openness, participative management, and conflict

resolution with employee satisfaction and inversely with stress levels. Stressful

organizational climates are characterized by limited participation in decisions, use of

punishment and negative feedback rather than rewards and positive feedback, conflict

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avoidance or confrontation rather than problem solving, and non-supportive group and

leader relations (Randhawa & Kaur, 2014).

Socially supportive climates benefit employee mental health, with lower rates of

anxiety and depression in supportive settings. When collective climates exist where

members who interact with each other share common perceptions of the organizations,

researchers observed that shared perceptions of undesirable organizational features link

with low morale and instances of psychogenic illness (Randhawa & Kaur, 2014). When

climate research adopts a specific focus, as in the study of climate for safety in an

organization, evidence is provided that lack of openness in communication regarding

safety issues, few rewards for reporting occupational hazards, and other negative climate

features increase the incidence of work-related accidents and injury (Randhawa & Kaur,

2014). Since climates exist at many levels in organizations and can encompass a variety

of practices, an assessment of employee risk factors need to systematically taken into

account the relationships and activities (e.g., safety, communication or rewards) in which

employees are involved. Climate-based risk factors can differ from one part of the

organization to another (Scotti & Harmon, 2014).

Types of Organizational Climate

Scotti and Harmon (2014), stated there are several types of climates in

organizations that indicates the culture of the company. In one approach, the different

types of organizational climates described groups as people-oriented, rule-oriented,

innovation-oriented, and goal-oriented. In this study, organizational climate related to

human resources and engagement.

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Organizational climate as it relates to human resources

Organizational success was largely dependent on the quality and effort of the

people that work for the organization. Flexible, productive, and knowledgeable people

within an organization are a source of sustainable competitive advantage for companies

(Elçi & Alpkan, 2010). Top managers increasingly acknowledge that the people within

the organization make a difference by creating value for the organization. Human

resource management concerns the management of people within organizations.

Regardless of the type of organization, all firms need to manage their workforces using

appropriate policies and practices (Elçi & Alpkan, 2010). Policies and practices need to

be coordinated with each other, as well as with the needs of the organization. The latter,

known as strategic human resource management, is based on the recognition that

organizations can be more effective if they manage their human resources in such a way

that they deliver the right number of people with the appropriate behaviors (Elçi &

Alpkan, 2010). In addition, Elçi and Alpkan (2010) suggested that the necessary

competencies and the right levels of motivation to the organization’s human resource

management involve the use of several policies and practices.

Human resources practices are in three specific groups: 1) Entry; 2) Performance;

and 3) Exit. Entry practices include the recruitment and selection of new employees.

Performance practices include managing and developing employee performance, and exit

practices include managing the exit of employees. Top and line management play a

central role in human resource management. Top management uses human resource

management as an integrated part of their business strategy. Line management, on the

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other hand, is responsible for managing employment relations. Human resource

professionals have an important advisory role helping to develop and distribute human

resource policies and practices. Line managers, however, recruit new employees, do the

performance appraisal, and are responsible for the development of the core employees,

making them the actual practitioners of human resource management (Elçi & Alpkan,

2010).

Ideally, the Human Resources strategy that top management has in mind transfers

exactly as intended to the lower employee levels; however, this is often not the case. Elçi

and Alpkan (2010) developed a model to represent the Human Resources practices

implementation process by making a distinction between intended Human Resources

practices, actual Human Resources practices, and perceived Human Resources practices.

The intended HR practices are the outcomes of the HR strategy developed by top

management and intend to achieve employee reactions that are necessary for

organizational success. Middle management implements the intended HR practices.

Often, the intended practices are implemented in a different way than intended by top

management or not implemented at all. The practices implemented by middle

management are the actual human resource practices. Employees perceive and interpret

the actual human resource practices, which results in perceived HR practices. Thus, top

management is responsible for establishing the human resource strategy of the

organization, while middle management interprets and distributes the human resource

strategy among the organizational members using several HR practices (Elçi & Alpkan,

2010).

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Organizational climate as it relates to engagement

Researchers Zhang, Liu, Wang, and Shen (2011) have conducted a study and

found the relationship between organizational climate and organizational performance. A

large group of studies only considers specific aspects of organizational climate and

outcomes related to these aspects. For example, the relation between service climate and

customer satisfaction, the relationship between safety climate and safety outcomes, the

relationship between risk-taking climate and knowledge creation in the unit, and the

relation between innovation climate and creativity (Mahal, 2010). For example, Zhang,

Liu, Wang, and Shen (2011) studied the relation between climates for initiative and

psychological safety and company performance at 47 mid-sized Chinese banks. Their

results showed that climates for initiative and psychological safety positively related to

two measures of firm performance: return on assets and firm goal achievement.

Nevertheless, studies on the relationship between global climate (a broad range of climate

aspects) and global performance outcomes are limited.

Mahal (2010) indicated that employee effect mediation between organizational

climate and company performance are based on the framework of organizational climate

with the relationship between leadership practices and work behaviors. Although the

study highlights employee affects as a mediator between organizational climate and

organizational performance, it does not explain why employee effect mediation the

relationship between organizational climate and organizational performance. Social

Exchange Theory explains the relationship between organizational climate and

organizational performance. The theory assumes that social exchanges involve several

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actions that create obligations, and that relationships evolve into trusting, loyal, and

mutual commitments (Mahal, 2010). Employers can reward employees in two different

ways, by using economic or socio-emotional resources.

According to Mahal (2010), the financial rewards are tangible and immediate,

whereas the socio-economic reward is intangible that addresses the social needs of the

employees. By employing these resources, employers can create strong relationships with

their employees, as employees tend to repay these rewards with better work behavior and

positive attitudes. Organizational climate is part of these socio-emotional and economic

resources. Therefore, employees will have a high level of commitment, motivation, and

job satisfaction when employers can establish an organizational climate that is positive.

Employee engagement, which is an umbrella term for aspects of organizational

commitment, job satisfaction, and job involvement, is affected positively or negatively by

organizational climate (Van De Voordea, Van Veldhoven, & Paauwe, 2010).

In setting the tone of the organizational climate, senior management plays a

significant role. Organizational climate refers to a collective understanding of

organizational policies, practices, and procedures (Dollard & Bakker, 2010).

Measurement tools help to determine employees’ perceptions of management’s

commitment and performance regarding organizational policy, procedures, and practice.

Here, results are used to gauge employee engagement, availability of resources to the

employee, the effectiveness of human resource programs, training, compensation, and

benefits (Adler, 2012). Organizations that provide job specific work tools; performance

feedback, supervisory coaching, and autonomy will enhance engagement (Bakker, 2011).

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Official policies, practices, and procedures measure components of most importance to

the organization. The integrative review by Kataria, Garg, and Rastogi (2012) suggested

the development of an architectural Human Resource practice and assessment to achieve

value-based organizational behavior and effectiveness work. Organizational commitment

has been determined to be a central parameter for assessing employee engagement

(Soieb, Othman, & D’Silva, 2013).

Organizational Climate Theories

Organizational climate theories stem from the research concerning organizations.

They have evolved in the pursuit of practical organizational management. Several

principles combine to provide an outline for the development of a productive

organizational climate. The major themes in the literature suggest that supporting

teamwork, developing an enabling culture, and developing a shared vision create an

effective organizational climate. The first cornerstone of inspiring a positive

organizational climate is teamwork. The organization should provide the proper context

for facilitating group activities as well as the creation and accumulation of knowledge at

the individual level, and there should be support for construction of a self-organizing

team (Messarra, 2014). The second key to developing a positive organizational climate is

constructing an enabling work environment. Efficient knowledge creation depends on an

enabling context, which is a shared space that fosters emerging relationships (Boh &

Wong, 2013).

Boh and Wong (2013) stated that since knowledge enabling emphasizes human

relationships and excellent communication, a positive impact could happen on the quality

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of new insights. New knowledge creates; employee satisfaction; corporate image; and

relations with customers, suppliers, and other strategic partners happen. Therefore,

communication encourages participants to experiment with the way people work

together. The third element of developing an excellent organizational climate entails

developing a vision (Boh & Wong, 2013). Boh and Wong (2013) stated, “When there is a

genuine vision, people excel and learn because they want to.” To do this, they suggested

using mental models with systems thinking, which means seeing the relationships

between cause and effect in large scale as well as small-scale, to develop a shared vision

for the organization. Based on this, any organization requires shared goals, values, and

norms. Finally, Boh and Wong (2013) recommend encouraging the development of

personal visions to augment and improve the group vision (Boh, & Wong, 2013).

Organizational Effectiveness

Organizational effectiveness is a vital element for speeding up the process of

organizational development. Organizational effectiveness uses available resources to

fulfill goals without having to put unwanted strain on employees (Malik, Ghafoor &

Naseer, 2011). The maximum combined utility of an organization is needed.

Organizational effectiveness is the process by which employees become motivated and

attain its objectives. There are several models of organizational effectiveness. The

legitimacy model assesses background data from the external environment.

The consistency model uses statements to evaluate criteria completed by different

constituencies. The systems resource model addresses a bargaining position that the

organization uses (Malik et al., 2011). These models formed the Maslach Burnout

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Inventory (Schaufeli, & Taris, 2014) that increased employee motivation and

strengthened the relationship between organizational effectiveness with employee

motivation. Turkyilmaz, Akman, Ozkan, & Pastuszak, (2011) indicated that authoritative

viability is the idea of how viable an organization is in fulfilling its intended outcomes.

Authoritative viability assumes a critical part in quickening organizational advancement.

Employee satisfaction and motivation for engagement depend upon the feelings of

the employee about the organization and its approaches toward the service. Therefore,

organizational effectiveness locates targets and attains them proficiently in spirited and

energetic surroundings. A motivated employee becomes a productive employee in an

organization that contributes to efficiency and effectiveness of profits for the

organization. Thus, there is a definite relationship between employee motivation and

organizational effectiveness.

Gap in the Literature

While there is existing literature about employee engagement, there are limited

resources about academic. The specific gap in literature exists concerning employee

engagement in the Georgia university system from the viewpoint of staff. Additional

research is needed on academia in the United States for long-term sustainability. Shuck,

Ghosh and Nimon (2013) explained the need for future research to understand how

employee engagement occurs in the constructs of job satisfaction and job commitment

specific to the academic environment. Researcher Anitha (2014) concluded there is the

need to identify the key determinants of employee engagement in a healthy working

atmosphere that reflects on the social impact created by the organization.

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Looking at the relation between job satisfaction and the sustainability of the

organization through this lens could be valuable. Many organizational leaders believe that

employee engagement is a dominant source of competitive advantage and are drawn to its

reported ability to solve challenging organizational problems such as increasing

workplace performance, productivity, and avoiding widespread economic decline. As

organizational leaders embrace employee engagement, they are increasingly turning

toward Human Resources Development (HRD) cultures. Further, Shuck, et al., (2011)

indicated that models provide a theorized structure for developing engagement but fall

short of exploring how workers might react to such structures. This gap overlooks an

important facet of the engagement. Unfortunately, the lack of research focused on

employees’ experience of engagement as well as documented declining levels of

engagement come at a time organization are searching for strategies to engage their

workforce.

Summary and Transition

The literature review included a description of the information available on the

topic of employee engagement. The literature helped reveal gaps in the available

information on the subject. The literature reviewed was on constructs related to employee

engagement, such as commitment and trust. The researcher also discussed

transformational leadership and communication practice. Anitha (2014) indicated the gap

in the literature is apparent in the lack of employee views of engagement. Through the

discussion of the historical and current literature, the researcher provided the foundation

for this phenomenological study. A review of the literature on employee engagement and

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related concepts such as trust and the theory of transformational leadership revealed gaps

and demonstrated the need for future research.

Understanding the lived experiences of employees may expand the body of

knowledge necessary to build strategies for improving employee commitment within

Georgia universities. The researcher provided the conceptual framework for this research.

This literature allowed for an investigation of support for the theoretical framework of

employee engagement from the perspective of the employee. The researcher also

reviewed the relationships between employee engagement and other constructs. Chapter

2 also included a discussion of organizational effectiveness and organizational climate.

Employee engagement interventions are most likely to succeed if they are in

corporate culture. In that, interdependence between leadership and employee emphasis is

the responsibility of all participants in the organization in engagement practices.

Engagement and empowerment have a key impact in upgrading employees’ motivation

towards organizational tasks. By recognizing the employees for the work they do and

giving them opportunities in decision-making, employees feel greater fulfillment in their

employment, are more engaged, and improve their organization.

In organizations, communication is vital. There are many different ways to

communicate, through reading, writing, speaking, listening, visual means, technology, the

media, and numeracy. In fact, communication practices include many ways of ensuring

that the employee's voice is heard by different people, in different languages, at different

levels, in different contexts and at different times. Each factor is important, and various

means have relatively different effectiveness and contexts (Blume, Baldwin, & Ryan,

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2013). In Chapter 3, the researcher described the methodology along with the research

design, analytical approach, and research strategies that identified the specific problems

of the study. Additionally, there was a description of the population, sampling

procedures, recruitment procedures, data collection, and threats to validity. The chapter

concluded with ethical procedures.

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Chapter 3: Research Method

Introduction

Crabtree (2013) stated 63% of employees are disengaged at work in business

organizations in the United States for the last 5 years (Crabtree, 2013). Employees who

work in the university system in Georgia struggle to remain engaged in their work,

resulting in high turnover and employee disengagement in the workplace. Despite this

problem, there has been little research regarding employee engagement in academia. As

such, the purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived

experiences of Georgia university system employees regarding employee engagement.

In this chapter, the researcher will describe the approach used to address the

research questions listed. The research design, the rationale, and the role of the researcher

will be outlined. Also, the population and sampling strategies further described in the

survey will be discussed. The instrumentation design, along with arguments for

instrument validity and reliability, will be presented. The data collection process and

subsequent data analysis will be discussed in detail. Additionally, aspects of

trustworthiness and ethical procedures will be explained, and a summary of topics will be

included at the end of this chapter.

Setting

The study was conducted in a selected higher education institution in the state of

Georgia. The institution was a four-year research university with a mission to recruit a

diverse population of faculty, students, and staff. The academic department within the

University had 224 staff employees eligible to participate in the study. The university

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provides integrated educational programs and is considered an outstanding institution in

the Southeast. The university is a member of the University System of Georgia and is

under the supervision of the Board of Regents. The governing board for the university

handles the standards set by the Board of Regents based on their policies on education.

Research Design and Rationale

The purpose of this phenomenological research was to report the lived

experiences regarding employee engagement from the perspective of staff employees.

For this study, the research questions to be explored were:

RQ1: What are the lived experiences of Georgia university system employees

regarding employee engagement?

RQ2: What factors do staff employees identify as the greatest influence on

employee engagement?

Choosing a qualitative methodology required using NVivo 11 software that allowed me

to use open coding to identify themes and patterns of the lived experiences of the staff.

There are three main research methods, one is quantitative, the second is

qualitative, and the last one is mixed methods, and each software require different

decision-making processes and affect the direction of investigation (Christensen &

Johnson, 2014). Qualitative and quantitative research approaches have similarities;

however, they also differ. Yin (2015) indicated researchers use qualitative research to

interview, observe in-depth analyses, rely on the lived experiences of participants,

analyze, and describe words for themes by examining relationships among variables

participants. The phenomenological research method was appropriate for this study.

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In phenomenology, the development of a research question should communicate

the researcher’s aim to understand the meaning of the phenomenon and experiences of

lived interest (Englander, 2012). A phenomenological design helps to obtain information

and perceptions through inductive and qualitative methods such as interviews,

discussions, and participant observation. In addition, Marshall and Rossman (2014)

asserted that the scope of the phenomenological design is to understand the meaning of

human life experience

Englander (2012) asserted that phenomenological is good for collecting data due

to interest in the meaning of a phenomenon as described by research subjects (Englander,

2012). This level of research differs substantially from ethnographic research for two

reasons; the first focuses on individuals, claiming subjectivity as a source of knowledge,

and the second focuses on group phenomena. Also, the depth of a phenomenological

inquiry allows the researcher to capture direct quotes that are unrehearsed personal

perspectives and experiences critical to understanding a phenomenon (Englander, 2012).

Edmund Husserl, credited with the discovery of phenomenology, asserted that this

qualitative form of analysis sets aside simple messages and allows the researcher to deal

with reality through lived experiences directly as they appear (Englander, 2012). Husserl

also indicated the goal of phenomenology is to produce an account of occurrences

through a person’s everyday experience while attempting to understand and explain the

phenomenon through the eyes of individuals. This qualitative study using a

phenomenological approach examined the lived experiences of 20 employees regarding

employee engagement.

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Role of the Researcher

The interviewer is the primary instrument in a qualitative study. As people’s

experiential life is not observable by others, interviews serve to engage subjects directly

in a conversation to get a first-person account of their social reality (Schultze & Avital,

2011). The role of the researcher is not to build consensus but to understand the

participants’ lived experiences (Moustakas, 1994). This study involved identifying shared

experiences regarding employee engagement. The researcher was actively engaged in the

data collection process.

This study received approval from the Walden University Institutional Review

Board (IRB) #09-18-17-0198727 and university before making any contact with the

participants or collecting data. The participants were instructed to answer the questions as

they saw fit and no attempt to influence the outcome was made by the researcher. The

participants were given no incentives and participated voluntarily. Yin (2015) noted that

qualitative researchers do not use pre-established instruments to measure distinctive

variables. Also, Petty, Thomson, and Stew (2012) asserted that qualitative researchers

seek to gather more understanding from participants and are concerned with patterns of

behaviors. According to Yin (2015), removing any potential biases is essential for

qualitative researchers to ensure the highest level of objectivity with minimal potential

for skewed data.

Methodology

The following section details the method used to explore the lived experiences of

employee engagement of 20 staff working within the Georgia university system.

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Methodology is a detailed research process that includes steps to recruit participants, to

obtain informed consent, conduct sampling methods, gather data, and analyze the data.

For this study, the researcher used a qualitative phenomenological research method,

specifically using a scripted questionnaire. The methodology was explained in sufficient

detail to permit others to replicate the study, and the method should be clearly described

to yield results that are as objective as possible (Moussakas, 1994).

Furthermore, the process of interviewing generates contextual accounts of each

participant's outer and inner world, which comprise their experiences as they interpret

them. When the participant and researcher are in dialogue, the answers may flow openly

and honestly for the participant. The one-on-one setting gave a safer and confidential

space for the participants. The study questionnaire was made up of 14 open-ended

questions, all of which were about the lived experiences of employees in the workplace.

The interview questions were constructed to encourage meaningful answers from

the participants based on the subject matter. The goal of asking the questions was to

understand the participants’ lived experiences in the areas of trust, commitment, and

employee engagement (see Appendix C).

Participant Selection Logic

The participants for this research were employees from a university in the state of

Georgia. The number of participants interviewed was 20 staff members who have worked

for a minimum five years within a department in the University system in the State of

Georgia. Moustakas (1994) noted that 20 participants are a sufficient sample for a

phenomenological research or until saturation occurs to develop themes in the research.

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A requirement for conducting this research was not to harm the research participants and

to certify this requirement; Maxwell (2013) explained that selecting individuals who can

provide information that answers the research questions is an important consideration in

qualitative selection decisions. The target population included staff employees who were

Administrative assistants, custodial staff, and Computer support in the same department

in the university. Based on the conceptual framework, from participant interviews and

past research, three constructs were identified and reported in this study (1) Employees

(E) (2) Employee Engagement (EE) (3) Disengagement (DIS). A demographic data

questionnaire form (Appendix A) was collected to identify the age groups, the level of

income, education levels, ethnic backgrounds, marital status, and sexual orientation,

within the university to describe the population. The staff in each department in the

university perform duties related to education ranging from the customer service support,

administrative support, project management, teaching, operational support, and research.

The volunteers who participated in the interview were members of any protected class.

The selected volunteers were involved in a purposeful sample method and completed

signed consent forms before conducting the interviews. The population that served as the

source for the participants was approximately 224 people within one department in the

university in the state of Georgia. The purposeful sampling method was appropriate for

nonprobability sample and required saturation to the point of new themes emerged from

the data (Yin, 2015). The researcher interviewed 20 participants who agreed to participate

for the study. The transcripts gathered from the one-on-one interviews were validated

through triangulation.

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Instrumentation

There were no specific research criteria for a specified instrument for this

qualitative study (Frels &Onwuegbuzie, 2013). According to Schultze and Avital (2011),

critical sampling involves selecting a case that will enable a researcher to learn about the

phenomenon. The goal of qualitative research was to understand the experiences of

others and ascertain how the different aspects of human behavior interact within an

environment (Neuman, 2007). Information was collected about the problem from

participants through interviews gathered in a textual, visual, or audio format (Schultze &

Avital, 2011). A phenomenological design was appropriate because the purpose of the

research was to report individual experiences of employee engagement within an

academic institution. The phenomenological design differed substantially from

ethnographic research; the first focused on people, claiming subjectivity as a source of

knowledge, and the second focused on group phenomena.

The data collection instrument for this study was a digital tape recorder and

notepad to take notes. The study included a set of 14 validated open-ended interview

questions (Appendix C) from a previous qualitative study (Richards, 2013) to explore the

lived experiences of employee engagement. The participants responded to the questions

using personal experiences from working in a project management setting. Richards

(2013) designed the interview instrument using a theoretical foundation of employee

engagement and used validated questions in a 2-week pilot study. This researcher used

Richards' (2013) questionnaire to serve as a model for this study.

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Richards' (2013) questionnaire tool regarding work engagement is divided into

three categories: 1) The perception of employee engagement; participant's understanding

of engagement; 2) How employees relate to trust, the meaning of work, and satisfaction;

participant's relationship between confidence and engagement; and 3) How retention and

performance affect the results in an organization (participant's association between

engagement and organizational performance). Therefore, the 14-item questionnaire was

used as the instrument for this study to report the experiences of staff working in an

academic organization. The researcher used the software NVivo 11 to code and analyzes

the transcribed interviews from 20 participants.

Sampling and Sampling Procedures

Sampling methods are used to obtain a sample representative of the target

population. Because sampling involves selecting some of the elements in a target

population to conduct a research study, purposeful sampling was used for this study

(Cooper & Schindler, 2014). The researcher interviewed 20 staff. Because the study was

small, the researcher anticipated saturation would be achieved. Researchers explained

that data saturation is reached when there is enough information to replicate the study

(O'Reilly & Parker, 2012; Walker, 2012). The researcher chose one out of the six

departments in the university to collect data for this study. Permission was obtained from

Walden University Institutional Review Board (IRB), and the letter of approval is

included in Appendix A.

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Recruitment Procedures, Participation and Data Collection

The researcher contacted 50 participants to collect the minimum responses

required for this study. Once participants selected randomly from the list of employees,

the participants were contacted in person by face-to-face interaction or by email. To

ensure the protection of the rights of the participants in the study, the researcher adhered

to the standards established by the Walden University IRB to guide the procedures for

recruitment, participation, and data collection. Participants’ involvement in the study was

voluntary, and they had the option to withdraw from participation at any time without

penalty. Participants knew the responses were confidential.

The Executive Director, Office of Institutional Research and Planning (IRP)

received a letter explaining the nature of the study. The letter was forwarded to gain

authorization to conduct the study in the selected university. After the researcher received

the official approval to conduct the study, the research began. Studies that involve human

participants have to obtain approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB), and the

Federal before being conducted (Cseko & Tremaine, 2013). The Walden University

Institutional Review Board and the Director of Human Resources at the selected

department in the university gave permission to collect data. Qualitative data collection

involves free information gathered in images and text through interviews, observation,

questionnaires, documents, or materials such as audiotapes, videotapes, and photographs

(Maxwell, 2013). Using general open-ended questions allowed the researcher to capture

sufficient information about employee engagement.

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The researcher conducted interviews one at a time to help explore the perception

of engagement from the viewpoint of the staff. Moustakas (1994) noted that perception is

the foundation of knowledge in a phenomenological study. Interviews allow study

participants to offer responses not restricted by specific guidelines as quantitative

research (Maxwell, 2013). The researcher adhered to the guidelines for the use of human

subjects as outlined by the university. The researcher interviewed the agreed upon 20

participants for the study. The participants’ names were not used during the data

collection or at any other time during the research. The participants’ interviews were

conducted in person, face-to-face. The researcher transcribed data and followed up within

48 hours with the participant by email asking them to confirm their responses to allow for

member checking.

Data Analysis Plan

The data analysis is an integral part of the research study and provided a review of

the information. The analysis can vary in nature depending upon the purpose of the

research (Zikmund, Babin, Carr, & Griffin, 2012). Data analysis and interpretation are

two essential components of the research process (Zikmund et al., 2012). The NVivo

software descriptive tool was used to analyze and report the data. The software was

appropriate because it can highlight emerging themes and code the data to identify

categories.

The responses to the interview questions were transcribed and analyzed using

computer software NVivo 11. Also, the tool was used to interpret raw data in the analysis

of both the audio recordings and the interview transcripts. Following the methods of

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analysis, the next step for the responses from the interview transcripts of the participants

were: group themes and experiences, label the code, and cluster the answers by themes.

The next steps are examine the codes for relevance and analyze them for understanding,

and describe the codes for understanding. Lastly, describe the codes using verbatim

examples and define them for core searches using the alternative descriptions or

explanations of experiences and describe the codes for participants using the

understanding of experiences.

Analyzing the recurring themes helped define and understand how participants

perceived employee engagement. NVivo 11 software was an appropriate tool to assess

the strength and direct the relationships between the three constructs, and allows

researchers to explore trends, develop themes to answer questions, manage, and

categorize documents, survey, audio, videos, or web content for efficient and accurate

analysis. The use of database management was an advantage to collect accurate data. I

was able to more efficiently organize and analyze the collected data. Also, the primary

benefit of using this software was the ability to manage large amounts of data.

Data Organization Technique

The information remained on a laptop in encrypted, password-protected files

while transcribing the interviews. The written transcript and recorded interviews became

encrypted, password-protected files on a thumb drive. Both written and interview

transcripts will remain stored in a locked office cabinet for five years after the completion

of the study and will be destroyed immediately afterward using a shredder. Only the

transcriptionist and the researcher interpreted the raw data and had access to the files, and

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a transcriptionist signed a letter of confidentiality consent. Each participant had a code to

protect his or her identity throughout the research. The codes for the participants

consisted of a P for the participant and a number that indicated the order of the interview

(P1, P2, P3, and P4).

Issues of Trustworthiness

LaBanca (2011) stated that trustworthiness is associated with qualitative research.

Sinkovics, Penz, Ghauri, and Pervez (2008) also reported that qualitative data analysis is

considered less rigorous and acknowledged the need to examine it in a systematic

manner. They also indicated that to establish qualitative research as a viable basis for

knowledge generation and dissemination, researchers are encouraged to organize,

standardize, and coordinate observations, recordings, and inquiries (Sinkovics et al.,

2008). Also, safety is implicit when reliability is confirmed (Cooper & Schindler, 2014).

Trustworthiness may be maintained when there are checks and balances throughout the

study. Participants’ responses were recorded and transcribed to confirm the accuracy of

the verbiage on answers, and the participants reviewed the transcripts to allow for

elaboration or correction of any information. Doing the cross check prevented any

misinterpretation of data.

Validity

A research design should allow an accurate interpretation of data to develop

conclusions (Maxwell, 2013). Validity is concerned with whether the interview

questionnaire measured what the researcher intended for it to measure. Different social

scientists assign a variety of names to the concept of validity (Leedy & Ormrod, 2016).

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The findings of a research study will have no legitimacy if the methods they are derived

from lack legitimacy. In a qualitative study, it is imperative to evaluate how well the

instrument measured what it was supposed to measure, but also, the internal and the

external validity threats of the instrument (Cooper & Schindler, 2014).

A possible threat to the internal validity of the study was the failure of the

subjects to complete their interview questionnaires or to respond to any of the questions.

The researcher attempted to avoid this by listening to and recording respondents as they

answer questions. Regarding those interviewed any employees who were unable to

understand the issues would have had the instrument explained more in depth to them.

The researcher further validated this study by utilizing triangulation.

Triangulation is a method that uses a combination of information sources, such as

individuals or types of data, as evidence to support a premise (Maxwell, 2013). Also,

Maxwell (2013) indicated that triangulation assists a researcher with developing a

credible report because information originates from various sources. In the

phenomenological study of engagement, triangulation may occur by linking interview

questions closely to the theoretical situation and request that participants review

transcripts to verify their accuracy. Each participant's interview lasted approximately 60

minutes. The researcher transcribed data after interviews within 48 hours of the

interview, and sent an email attachment with the transcript to the participants asking them

to confirm if the answers and their responses to the questions were reported adequately.

Participant checking was implemented when the follow-up was completed by the

researcher. If the participant did not respond back confirming the answers, the researcher

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continued with the data results and made a comment that the participant did respond to

follow up on interview questions.

Transferability

Transferability is defined as the ability to generalize findings of the study that is

beyond controlled parameters (Maxwell, 2013). According to Yin (2015) qualitative

studies are used to develop theories that may be important to other situations under

different circumstances, while qualitative research may not be able to provide the same

level of generalizability. The individuals in this study comprised employees who had at

least five years’ experience in a department with the same supervisor. The participants’

age, sex, or race did not limit the participants, which showed a variety in the selected

population. In addition, threats to external validity include the inability to apply the

results taken from the research of the wider environment, and the experiences of

individuals in the larger environment differ from the participants in the study (Neuman,

2007). A detailed account of the interview perceptions and lived experiences provided

improved context through the understanding of patterns related to employee engagement

(Khan, 1992). There was a significant amount of data collected from the interviews.

Which made the researcher constantly compared and contrasted the data often for

consistency. The method of keeping analysis connected to the purpose and design by

referring back to the purpose of the study was important, when conducting a study where

there is limited prior research such as this study. Additionally, triangulation through

multiple data sources, for instance prior qualitative studies, helped to establish

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Reliability

A reliability test helps assess whether an instrument produces the same results

repetitively under identical conditions during the research study. There is a lack of

credibility when there is a divergence on the tool between observers or when the

instrument produces different results under the identical conditions (Cooper & Schindler,

2014). Richards (2013) initially determined the instrument's reliability for the measures

of employee engagement and disengagement. The instrument used in a study must have a

strong measurement validity and reliability to diminish both threats.

Ethical Procedures

Any research needs to meet the minimum of ethical standards. Study participants

were entitled to a reasonable degree of care in protecting their identities. The chair of the

project and Walden University IRB reviewed the research ethics of the project to meet

the research questions and inquiry method. The researcher made every effort to follow

the respect for human dignity that has been an underlying value for Walden University

principles. Before beginning the study, the researcher asked the IRB to evaluate the

safety of the research and the adequacy of the consent to be obtained from the research

participants (DePoy & Gitlin, 2015). To show that this study has conformed to the

highest level of ethical standards, the participant recruitment did not begin until the

Walden University Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved the study. The researcher

made sure that the data collection process met ethical guidelines such as: participating in

research was not coerced, informed consent, in which the researcher clearly notified

participants that their involvement was voluntary, no harm, which required that

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participants not be put in danger, confidentiality, guaranteeing that any information

collected is kept confidential and eventually destroyed and lastly anonymity was placed,

making sure that respect for human dignity was paramount in the quality improvement

for this research.

Federal regulations mandated the study involved human participants was

approved by an IRB before was conducted (Cseko & Tremaine, 2013). I obtained Walden

Institutional Review Board (IRB)'s approval before performing any data collection on

September, 2017 (Approval #09—18-17-0198727). The Walden Institutional Review

Board's (IRB) role is to protect the safety and privacy of participants. Concerns about

privacy and confidentiality of participants' information were addressed in the informed

consent the participant signed, stating their protection, anonymity, intended use and

security of the research data, and retention and destruction of the data. All participants’

data and information were kept confidential to ensure the participants safety, by having

all documentation and data has been stored and protected by me. The data was

anonymous during the data analysis phase and the other data remain confidential and

stored in a password protected file for a period of five years.

Summary

Chapter 3 included detailed information about the methodology of this study. The

chapter outlined the research methods that were utilized. Chapter 3 presented instrument

development, an assessment of the reliability and validity of the instrument, and the data

collection and analysis procedures, and trustworthiness as well. A discussion of the

different interrelated components of the research design and its sequential nature was

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included. The research design included the sampling strategy and the recruitment

procedures.

A discussion of threats to validity was included in this chapter. The purpose of

Chapter 4 presented the data and findings from interviews and to discuss the data

analysis. Chapter 4 contained a detailed explanation of the NVivo 11 software tool,

which the researcher used to analyze the data. Also, Chapter 4 included the results

analysis. Finally, Chapter 5 included all the significant findings, interpretations, and

conclusions of the study. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to the

implications of social change for the study and recommendations of actions and future

research are included at the end of the chapter. The results will be available to all interest

groups for use towards positive social change in the business, university in the US and

global.

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Chapter 4: Results

Introduction

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to report the lived

experiences of 20 full-time employees lived experiences at the university in the state of

Georgia to understand the perception of employee engagement in their workplace.

Twenty full-time employees were randomly selected from one specified department in

the university. The employees had worked in the same department for 5 years or more

and their manager also worked in the department 5 years or more. All 20 of the

participants agreed to participate voluntarily. Chapter 4 presents findings of the study

through data collected using the phenomenological method. Further, this study allowed

the researcher to use an interview questionnaire that served as the tool through which data

was collected.

This section was followed by the ethical procedures and strategies to maintain

trustworthiness for the participants. The results of this qualitative study revealed that the

personal engagement theory and social exchange theory provided a conceptual

foundation that offered a basis of bidirectional transaction which specified that when

something is given, something is returned, illustrating that engagement is a reciprocal

relationship between employer and employee. In addition, the results showed that

employee engagement was low in the workplace because of the lack of communication,

trust, and respect for the employees from the managers and supervisors. This research

study could help managers and supervisors understand how to engage the staff members

so the culture of the organization could lead to a stronger work environment.

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Moreover, this qualitative analysis allowed the researcher to capture the

impromptu perspectives and lived experiences of 20 employees working within one

Georgia academic institution regarding employee engagement. Understanding the lived

experiences of employees may assist leaders in resolving disengagement issues that

negatively influence employees’ loyalty and organizational commitment (Ram &

Prabhakar, 2011). In addition, strategies may developed such as incentives or competition

that can positively influence higher productivity, customer loyalty, and employee

retention (Zhang, Avery, Bergsteiner, & Moore, 2014). The study consisted of two

research questions developed to identify strategies that may increase the knowledge of

employee engagement at a Georgia academic institution. The results of the interviews

provided information that was critical in answering the following research questions:

RQ1: What are the lived experiences of Georgia school system employees

regarding employee engagement?

RQ2: What factors do staff employees identify as the greatest influence on

employee engagement?

The five themes specific to this study were incentives, increased morale, increased

confidence and reverence of management, reward-based performance, and organizational

productivity, which may be consistent or inconsistent with previous literature.

Research Setting

This research was conducted in a natural setting using interviews to gain the

viewpoints of participants employed at a four-year research academic institution in

Georgia regarding employee engagement. Moreover, the university was a setting to

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employ a diverse population of faculty, students, and staff. There were 224 staff

employees eligible to participate in this study. The researcher served as an instrument of

data collection in this study with the responsibility of gathering information focused on

the meaning of participants’ responses. Purposive sampling was the selection technique

for finding participants for this study, which enabled the researcher to ensure more

control over the sample. Patton (2015) further asserted that in phenomenological studies,

it is fundamental for all participants to have experienced the occurrence being researched.

In a qualitative phenomenological study, a sample size of a minimum of 20

participants is consistent with an effective study (Marshall & Rossman, 2014). The

research setting was the Georgia University where the participants worked. There were a

sample of 20 employees. The location of each participant varied based on their choice

where to conduct the interview. During participation in the study, participants did not

experience any personal or organizational conditions that influenced their involvement

with the research or study results.

Demographics of Study Participants

The study participants’ age demographics were 15% 50 or over, 50% between the

ages of 40 and 49, and 35% between the ages of 29 and 39. The gender of study members

was 75% female and 25% male. High school graduates were 25%, those with

Associate’s degrees comprised 10%, those with Bachelor’s degrees were 35%, and those

with Master’s degrees encompassed 30% of study participants. Sixty percent of study

participants had been employed in their position for five to 10 years, while 35% averaged

between 11 and 15 years, while 5% had served in their position for 20 years or more.

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Furthermore, 95% of study participants worked in the College of Engineering,

with the remaining 5% employed in the Facilities department. The study participants

were from a diverse population with multiple job titles that included 50% who were

employed in administration, 20% working in human resources, 20% in information

technology, and 10% in custodial services. Table 1 illustrates the demographics of each

study participant, which included age range, gender, and education level, number of years

in current job, department, and position.

Table 1. Demographics of Study Participants

Demographics of Study Participants

Participa

nts

Age Range Gender Education Level Yrs. in job Department Position

1 40-49 Female Master’s 5-10 Engineering Administrative

2 29-39 Female High School 5-10 Facilities Custodial

3 40-49 Female Bachelor’s 5-10 Engineering Administrative

4 40-49 Female Master’s 11-15 Engineering Administrative

5 29-39 Male Associate’s 5-10 Engineering Information Technology

6 29-39 Male Bachelor’s 5-10 Engineering Information Technology

7 40-49 Male Associate’s 16-20 Engineering Custodial

8 50 or over Female High School 5-10 Engineering Human Resources

9 40-49 Female Master’s 11-15 Engineering Administrative

10 40-49 Female High School 5-10 Engineering Administrative

11 29-39 Female Bachelor’s 5-10 Engineering Administrative

12 40-49 Female Bachelor’s 11-15 Engineering Administrative

13 29-39 Female Bachelors 5-10 Engineering Human Resources

14 40-49 Female Bachelor’s 11-15 Engineering Human Resources

15 40-49 Male Master’s 11-15 Engineering Information Technology

16 29-39 Female High School 5-10 Engineering Administrative

17 40-49 Female Bachelor’s 5-10 Engineering Administrative

18 50 or over Female High School 11-15 Engineering Human Resources

19 29-39 Male Master’s 5-10 Engineering Information Technology

20 50 or over Female Master’s 11-15 Engineering Administrative

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The solicitation of study members was initiated with a request to the Institutional

Research & Enterprise Data Management Department at the academic institution. Data

collection began upon approval from the IRB to conduct the study, which was initiated

with contact with each participant. The research was explained, and an informed consent

form was provided for the participants to sign, which indicated proof of voluntary

participation in the study. Participants were randomly identified as P1, P2, and P3 up to

P20. The participants’ and employers’ names were not revealed to preserve privacy; all

responses were coded and analyzed using NVivo 11 software.

Data Collection

This study consisted of the face-to-face interviews of 20 employees working at a

Georgia academic institution utilizing a qualitative interview questionnaire consisting of

14 validated open-ended questions. The researcher specifically obtained approval and

utilized the interview questionnaire (Appendix B) from a 2013 empirical study conducted

by Dr. Wayne Richards, Jr., which was designed using a theoretical foundation of

employee engagement. Specifically, the data collected from participants in Dr. Richards

study were the result of questions using personal experiences while working in a project

management setting. Data collected for the purposes of this study, explored the lived

experiences of participants regarding employee engagement while working at an

academic institution.

The researcher ensured protections of the participant’s rights were strictly

followed, as established by Walden University’s IRB, in respects to procedures for

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recruitment, participation, and data collection. Participation in the study was voluntary,

with the option to withdraw at any time without consequence. Furthermore, the

researcher ensured that participants understood responses to the interview questions,

along with personal identity and that of employer were confidential.

Upon randomly selecting potential participants for the study, members were

contacted in person or via email to coordinate the interview session. A consent form was

provided to each research participant to sign prior to the interview, with signature

specifying voluntary participation in the study. Specifically, data collection from study

participants was conducted from October 23, 2017 through October 31, 2017,

individually at the participant’s workplace, in a private setting. Each participant’s

responses were recorded utilizing a digital tape recorder and a notepad for note taking,

along with data being transcribed by the researcher to confirm the accuracy of responses.

Furthermore, participants were provided the opportunity to review transcripts

within 48 hours for elaboration or correction of any interview responses to eliminate the

misinterpretation of data. Consequently, all procedures for data collection was followed

without deviation or variation as discussed, outlined, and presented in Chapter Three.

The interview questions were designed to encourage meaningful responses from the

participants based on the phenomena being investigated. Moreover, responses to the

interview questions were intended to represent the lived experiences of employee

perspectives regarding engagement in the workplace. Coincidently, during data

collection, there were some instances where participant’s responses to interview

questions were similar, which was attributed to information presented during recent

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organizational training related to employee engagement that study participants utilized in

their responses to the questions during the research interview. However, no unusual

circumstances were encountered in data collection.

Data Analysis

The data analysis process involved the review of gathered by listening to audio,

and transcribe transcripts to have the relevant and significant information. (Rodham, Fox,

& Doran, 2015). Analyzing qualitative data was considered to be as rigorous as the

statistical analysis of quantitative data (Samkin & Schneider, 2008). Consequently,

methods exist to ensure that performing an analysis of qualitative data; two or more

researchers would arrive at similar conclusions (Samkin & Schneider, 2008).

Furthermore, the analysis of qualitative data can produce an objectively equitable

and coherent explanation of the phenomenon under examination (Samkin & Schneider,

2008). The analysis involved the capture of general information and reduced down to

more specific themes and categories (Neale, 2016). For this phenomenological study, the

researcher used an open coding approach, which allowed an analytic process through

which data collected were divided into codes and categories, while being analyzed for

commonalities that could reflect themes. The process of open coding assisted in the

sorting of data so the individual experiences could be uniformed in a categorical manner

(Silver & Lewins, 2014). Analysis began with organizing and preparing the data collected

and transcribed from the interviews with study participants. Next, the researcher

reviewed all data to determine the participants’ general ideas, tone, depth, and credibility,

along with the use of information. When conducting a detailed analysis, the coding

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process begins by organizing data into segments of text before bringing meaning to the

information (Rodham, Fox, & Doran, 2015).

Specifically, the researcher searched for commonalities and counted the number

of times a theme occurred from the interviewees’ responses. Further, the researcher

developed a list of topics after reviewing each transcribed interview, clustered similar

topics in columns, and grouped and classified them into codes using descriptive wording

to organize the data for preliminary analysis. Moreover, the researcher approached the

analysis of data by bracketing and phenomenological reduction, evaluating data with

openness to whatever themes emerged and accepted the phenomenon (Yin, 2015).

Themes were extracted based on the occurrence of grouped data as required in

phenomenological studies (Neale, 2016).

Evidence of Trustworthiness

Lisoski (2009) asserted trustworthiness in qualitative research depends largely on

researcher proficiency, which involves investigation and listening skills, attentiveness in

capturing descriptive data obtained through data collection methods; and consistency in

the coding of data. Furthermore, trustworthiness related to qualitative studies refers to

the demonstration of evidence for sound outcomes, particularly when arguments made

are based on results (LaBanca, 2011). Specifically, Sinkovics, Penz, Ghauri, and Pervez

(2008) argued that qualitative data should be examined in a systematic manner since

analysis is considered less arduous. To establish qualitative research as a viable basis of

knowledge generation and dissemination, researchers are encouraged to organize,

standardize, and coordinate observations, recordings, and inquiries (Sinkovics, Penz,

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Ghauri, & Pervez, 2008). Moreover, credibility, transferability, dependability, and

confirmability have been accepted by many qualitative researchers as essential in

establishing trustworthiness (Lisoski, 2009).

Credibility

Credibility is referred to as an evaluation of whether research findings represent a

reliable conceptual interpretation of data drawn from participants (Sinkovics et al., 2008).

When addressing credibility, researchers attempt to establish a true picture of the

phenomenon under analysis (Lisoski, 2009). Furthermore, Sinkovics et al. (2008)

indicated that credibility focuses on establishing a match between constructed realities of

respondents and those represented by the researcher. Triangulation, which involved

using different sources such as interviews, focus groups, and observations to answer

research questions, as well as data collection, served as a strategy to strengthen a study

and improve credibility (Patton, 2015).

Because this phenomenological study involved in-depth interviews using open-

ended questions to gather an abundance of data from the lived experiences of 20

employees working at a Georgia academic institution, the following strategies were used

to enhance credibility: (1) Participants selected from various age ranges, gender,

education levels, number of years in current job, department, and position, using random

purposeful sampling, which may negate researcher bias in the selection of participants to

build a rational justification for themes; (2) Clarification of biases the researcher brings to

the study, which creates an open and honest narrative that will resonate well with readers;

and (3) Provide adequate descriptions of data that may transport readers to the research

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setting and give the discussion an element of shared experiences (Patton, 2015).

Credibility, which is comparable to quantitative research’s concept of internal validity

that seeks to ensure a study measures or tests the intended, is one of the most important

factors in establishing trustworthiness (Patton, 2015).

Transferability

Transferability or its equivalent in quantitative research’s, external validity, refers

to the extent in which findings of a study can be generalized or applied to a wider

population (Maxwell, 2013). In qualitative studies, transferability is primarily the

responsibility of individuals performing the generalizing (Maxwell, 2013). Since the

findings of qualitative research studies are generally specific to a small number of

research environments and participants, it is challenging to exhibit how they are

applicable to other situations and populations (Yin, 2015). In addition, Cooper and

Schindler (2014) asserted that it is the researcher’s responsibility to ensure sufficient

background information related to the study is provided to enable readers to make the

transfer.

Moreover, the qualitative researcher is able to improve transferability by

comprehensively describing the research context and assumptions central to the research

(Cooper & Schindler, 2014). The value of qualitative inquiry rests in the specific

descriptions and themes developed, making particularity, rather than generalizability, one

of its central attributes (Patton, 2015). To enhance transferability, the researcher carefully

chose participants who all have potentially experienced the phenomenon in question to

forge a common understanding (Yin, 2015).

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Dependability

When addressing dependability, or reliability, its quantitative comparison,

researchers employ techniques to demonstrate if the study were repeatable and consistent

in the same context, using identical methods, with the same participants, the results

would be similar (Patton, 2015). To address dependability more directly, Cooper and

Schindler (2014) indicated processes within the study should be reported in detail,

enabling a future researcher to repeat the investigation, but not necessarily to gain similar

outcomes. More specifically, a detailed analysis allowed readers to assess the extent to

which proper research practices have been followed in order to develop a thorough

understanding of methods used and their effectiveness (Cooper & Schindler, 2014). To

ensure dependability for this study, the researcher obtained permission to utilize a

scripted interview questionnaire from a 2013 empirical study conducted by Dr. Wayne

Richards, Jr. (2013). Moreover, the responses of study participants were clustered into

meaningful units to form themes and coded using NVivo 11 software.

Conformability

The qualitative researcher’s equal concern to objectivity approve the study’s

conclusion in a quantitative study is referred to as conformability (Gordon & Patterson,

2013). An essential assumption of qualitative research is the tendency that each

researcher brings a unique perspective to the study (Cooper & Schindler, 2014).

Researchers ensure to the degree possible, that the study’s findings are the result of

experiences and ideas of participants, rather than the characteristics and preferences of

researchers by allowing participants to verify accuracy (Hartman, 2013).

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Conversely, a key principle for conformability is the degree to which the

researcher recognized his or her own biases. During this study, bracketing was utilized

during data analysis as the first step in phenomenological reduction, where the researcher

sets aside, as much as humanly imaginable, all preconceived experiences to best

understand the experiences of participants in the study (Yin, 2015). Moreover, the

researcher was able to record procedures for checking and rechecking data throughout the

research.

Results of Study

The research study was thoroughly introduced and the format of interviews

explained to each participant. In addition, the researcher explained her role in the data

collection process and the benefits received serving as participants in this

phenomenological study. Details of the informed consent was thoroughly emphasized,

which provided each participant the option of being free to refuse to answer any of the

questions that may make them uncomfortable and able to withdraw from the interview or

study at any time.

In an effort to protect identity of participants and their employers, no questions on

the interview questionnaire required a response revealing such information. In addition,

the researcher created a transcript from the tape-recorded interview sessions to ensure the

accuracy of responses in order to avoid misinterpretation. Moreover, the researcher

quoted participants extensively, following the principles of phenomenology (Cooper &

Schindler, 2014). The participant’s definition and perception of employee engagement

was derived from Questions 1 and 12 of the interview questionnaire.

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In addition, the age range, gender, education level, number of years in current job,

department, and position of participants were documented to confirm that supervisors,

managers, presidents, or vice-presidents were not included in the study since the research

was based on the perceptions of staff, not leaders within the respondent’s work

department. Questions 2 through 11, 13, and 14 provided data obtained from participant

responses to questions regarding experiences and perspectives of employee engagement,

which allowed the researcher to analyze themes that emerged from the lived experiences

of 20 employees working at a Georgia academic institution.

Theme Analysis: Research Question 1

The results for Research Question 1, what are the lived experiences of Georgia

school system employees regarding employee engagement are separated by responses

below? They were generated from the responses of twenty study participants to

Questions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 11 on the interview questionnaire. The responses were

transcribed to Questions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 11 from which each theme was developed:

the NVivo 11 program allowed the use of color-coding categories and charts creating the

source of word frequency that coded to nodes, and the following codes surfaced 19 of the

160 responses from participants included Organizational Interest, Recognition, Self-

motivation, Service to client, which resulted in categories that included: Motivation,

Accountability for growth and success, and achieving results which resulted in Incentives

emerging as a Theme 1.

Additionally, the level of happiness and passion for work were codes that surfaced on 12

occasions resulting in the love of job/fully engaged and job satisfaction to develop as

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categories, whereby Increased Morale emerged as Theme 2. Furthermore, positive work

environment and enhanced engagement resulting from decreased micro-management

were codes that developed 14 times, along with categories that included increased

confidence in management and enhanced engagement from increased confidence in

management, supported Increased Confidence and Reverence of Management that

emerged as Theme 3. All codes and categories were examined, and themes

acknowledged for Research Question 1, resulting from participants’ responses as

indicated in Table 2.

Table 2. Theme Analysis: Research Question 1

Theme Analysis: Research Question 1

Codes Categories Themes

Organizational Interest Motivation Incentives

Recognition Accountability for

Growth and Success

Self-Motivation Motivation

Service to Client Achieving Results

Level of Happiness Fully Engaged/Love

of Job

Increased Morale

Passion for Work Job Satisfaction

Positive Work

Environment Increased

Confidence in

Management

Increased Confidence &

Reverence of Management

Enhanced Engagement

from Decreased Micro-

Management

Enhanced

Engagement from

Increased

Confidence in

Management

Research Question 1: What are the lived experiences of Georgia school system employees

regarding employee engagement?

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Theme 1: Incentives

The participant’s responses from interviews revealed experiences consistent with

the following codes associated with Incentives: (1) Organizational interest; (2)

Recognition; (3) Self-motivation; and (4) Service to client. Three participants (15%)

indicated how the level of interest in what they were working on within the organization

enhanced or lessen the degree of engagement. Moreover, six study participants (30%)

shared how the importance of recognition through incentives and rewards were necessary

to maintain an adequate level of engagement.

Furthermore, being compensated and/or rewarded in the form of a raise or

promotion for their efforts were paramount as a means of recognition in preventing them

from becoming disengaged. Coincidently, self-motivation was instrumental for six

participants (30%) in pushing themselves when things become challenging in order to

maintain a consistent work ethic, remaining enthusiastic and positive while seeking

additional opportunities that will promote engagement. Another critical factor that

enhanced the engagement of four study members (20%) was their role in being able to

provide service to clients and the appreciation customers’ exhibit from the services

rendered. There are some examples from the research in each of category to illustrate the

themes and how they were discussed.

Question 2 asked in your role, what keeps you fully engaged in your tasks? The

transcribed responses of Participants 1, 10, 13, and 20 were specifically related to Theme

1: Incentives. Respondents (3 out of 20) Fifteen percent cited being motivated and being

able to motivate co-workers to deliver a work product beyond expectations in the

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performance of their duties, led to them being fully engaged. P1 stated “In my role,

incentives, interest, and being fortunate enough to have a job keeps me fully engaged in

my tasks. P10 shared, “What keeps me fully engaged in my tasks is my level of interest

in what I am working on or having a goal to reach with an incentive at the end of the

task.” P13, responded, “I am motivated to get the job done. I understand that no matter

how small or grand of a task, what I do is vital and valuable to the organization. A huge

part of my responsibilities involves provided reporting for leadership. Assigning purpose

to these tasks keeps me motivated to get things done. I am also more engaged when I am

involved in work that is outside my normal day to day.” And finally, P20, with

enthusiasm in the voice said “In my role what keeps me fully engage is the willingness to

perform beyond expectations, and trying to motivate my co-workers to be fully engaged

to help make the organization a success.” Each of the participants responded positively to

this theme.

Question 3 asked, in your role, how and why do employees become disengaged in

their task? This question was to understand the disengagement level of the participant in

their work task. The transcribed responses of Participants 3, 6, 10, 14, 19, and 20 were

precisely associated with Theme 1: Incentives. Fifteen percent of participants (3 out of

20) indicated that not being recognized, rewarded, or appreciated for their efforts was

paramount to being engaged. Specifically, P20 asserted, “Employees become disengage

when they feel as though they are not being treated fair and being rewarded for the work

they strive to do with excellence. Whether that is being rewarded with a raise or a

promotion; sometimes a little recognition will do.” An additional 15% of participants (3

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out of 20) raised concerns about the inconsistency of management in providing the

needed direction and information to successfully perform duties, which directly affected

their level of interest, resulting in them becoming disengaged. Respondents who

identified with this theme stated that “employees become disengaged when they are not

recognized, compensated, and/or rewarded for their efforts.” (P3). Further, P6 indicated,

people become disengaged because they get tired when the managers are inconsistent and

give wrong information. Some people feel they are not paid enough.” P14, expressed,

“employees tend to become disengaged when they feel unimportant, when they don’t

respect their boss and fellow employees, or when they feel like they don’t have a purpose

or duty in the workplace.”

Question 4 asked, how do you remain motivated in your current role? The

question is posed to receive feedback regarding the internal and external factors that

positively influent the employee at work. The transcribed responses of Participants 1, 10,

11, 13, 14, 16, 17, and 20 were particularly linked to Theme 1: Incentives. Moreover,

40% of participants (8 out of 20) asserted that self-motivated indeed played a role in

being engaged, which was instrumental in personal growth and success, setting personal

goals, and contributing to the success of their department. Specifically, P10 emphasized,

“I remain motivated by setting goals for myself and challenging myself to reach them.”

Particularly, self-motivation was significant in participants maintaining a consistent work

ethic that supports work-life balance and sharing their professional opinion to

management, which contributes to an acceptable level of job engagement as fifteen

percent of participants (3 out of 20) suggested. Participants expressed that their

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motivation in the work role was reinforced by self-motivation “if I take on a role, I see

that as a commitment to do the best that I can in my role. Even when things are not ideal,

I still push myself. I believe that even when things are hard you have to do the right thing.

The right thing is maintaining a consistent work ethic, being enthusiastic and positive in

your role, seeking extra opportunities.” (P13) and that “I remain motivated by immersing

myself in the environment that I am in. If I am at work, I only think about work and the

tasks I need to complete and how to remain engaged. If I am at school, I concentrate on

my schoolwork only and try to not to intertwine my work or personal life. And when I am

with family and friends, I try not to worry about my school or work life” (P14). Each of

these participants responded positively to the theme that self-motivation of their role,

kept them engaged.

Question 7 asked, what gives your work meaning in your role? This particular

question explored general feedback regarding factors that positively influence employees

at work. The transcribed responses of Participants 1, 5, 6, 9, 16, 18, 19, and 20 were

explicitly connected to Theme 1: Incentives. Coincidently, four respondents (20%)

emphasized that providing service to the client gave them a peace of mind and

meaningful work, which was instrumental in their role that contributed to the level of

engagement. Precisely, P20 stressed, “What gives my work meaning in my role is to be

able to provide assistance to my customers and colleagues and that they show

appreciation. I love helping.” Moreover, an additional four respondents (20%) stated that

the ability to achieve results in the work they did provided meaning, along with, an

appreciation of completing and achieving the tasks and goals assigned, which supported

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engagement. P6 commented, “Knowing that what I do protects people, knowing that

giving clients a piece of my mind and protecting the company from risk.” P16, stated,

“The work I do gives meaning because of the help I give students. When I make them

smile or say I am the best. That is good meaning.” These comments align the service to

client and achieving results.

Theme 2: Increased Morale

The responses from participant’s interviews uncovered experiences that were

constant with the following codes associated with increased morale: (1) level of

happiness; and (2) passion for work. The level of happiness was significant in

augmenting the degree of employee engagement for 30% of respondents (6 out of 20).

Particularly, the participants stressed that if they were not satisfied or happy; they would

not be engaged and indicated the desire to seek employment elsewhere. Furthermore, the

responses indicated that having a high level of happiness affects the intensity of their

engagement and they would likely perform at a high level when fully engaged.

In addition, the participant’s love of their job was instrumental and contributed to

the level of happiness they possessed which further impacted the degree of engagement.

In addition, six study participants (30%) asserted that the passion for work was

substantial in enhancing the degree of employee engagement. Specifically, the

participants stressed how job satisfaction serves as a major element of employee

engagement because of the love and passion associated with the job. They also

emphasized if there is not a passion for what they do, engagement declines and the

likelihood of them being dissatisfied exist. In addition, participants indicated that being

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satisfied with your job increases the level of engagement, which allows them to

successfully complete tasks and meet organizational requirements.

Question 5 asked, in your role, how does job satisfaction affect your engagement

level? The purpose of this question was to gain an understanding what factors affect

engagement in job satisfaction. The transcribed replies of Participants 1, 3, 8, 15, and 19

were clearly linked to Theme 2: Increased Morale. Overall, five participants (25%)

emphasized how the level of happiness in addition to love of the job were influential in

creating job satisfaction that had a huge impact on the engagement level, making them

more likely to put forth their best effort. P3 and P8 alluded, if they do not like a job, they

are not motivated to do it and will most likely not give it their best effort. Participant’s

responses supported that increased morale affects job satisfaction. “It affects it a lot when

you are satisfied, it helps the morale. “(P19). P1 stated, job satisfaction affects my

engagement level greatly because I am doing what I love to do”.

Question 6 asked how does your engagement level affect your decision to remain

with the company? The recorded replies of Participants 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 17 showed a

clear relationship with Theme 2: Increased Morale. Thirty percent of the interview

participants (6 out of 20) responded that recognition of their work through self-

motivation and achieving results by servicing clients help maintain a high level of

engagement in the work place. P8 stated, “Knowing that what I am doing is appreciated

and that the people I work with respect the job that I do.” P17 shared, “my engagement

level helps me remain with my company due to my service and passion for student

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success.” P9 responded “my engagement level is high most of the time because I enjoy

what I do and the students are always kind.”

Fifteen percent of respondents (3 out of 20) maintained that the level of interest where

they in the department they worked could decrease or increase their level of engagement.

Six out of twenty participants (30%) viewed this emerging theme as important for

incentives in the form of monetary and promotions, which was positively associated with

the Increased Morale theme.

Theme 3: Increased Confidence & Reverence of Management

The responses from interviews revealed experiences of study members that

supported the following codes associated with increased confidence and reverence of

management: (1) positive work environment; and (2) enhanced engagement from

decreased micro-management. Eleven study participants (55%) acknowledged that when

leadership was instrumental in creating a positive work environment by offering support,

employee autonomy, being approachable, and enforcing company rules, this developed

an organizational culture that increased confidence in management and fostered

engagement. Additionally, when employees knew leaders cared and took measurable and

actionable steps for improvement, they in turn were willing to support the company,

which decreased the level of disengagement.

Two participants (10%) agreed that a decreased micro-management leadership

approach negatively affected the level of trust and respect an employee has for

organization leadership which is the foundation of confidence in management and

employee engagement. Furthermore, participants indicated relationships should evolve

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into trusting, loyal, and mutual commitments, along with respect, which is vital in the

level of confidence employees, have in management. Moreover, participants revealed,

the lack of trust and respect in leaders is a major factor that results in disengagement,

which causes employees to feel distant, unvalued, or detached from the team.

Question 8 asked, how would you describe the role of leadership in employee

engagement? The documented responses of Participants 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 17, and 20

showed a clear relationship with Theme 3: Increased Confidence & Reverence of

Management. Specifically, 20% of responses (4 out of 20) proved that when leadership

sets the tone/culture within an organization, employees are confident the employer cares,

which in turn improves the level of commitment and engagement, whereby leading to an

efficient and effective work environment. In particular, P17 maintained, “leadership in

my company provides an environment and culture for positive engagement.”

Furthermore, when leadership is setting the example by demonstrating

engagement, 15% of participants (P8, P9, and 10), indicated the team will feed from their

commitment and demonstrate high levels of motivation and engagement in all aspects of

the job. Seven out of twenty participants responded positively to this theme.

Question 11 asked how does trust and respect in the organization and leadership

affect employee engagement? The transcribed responses of Participants 1, 4, 6, 10, 13,

and 17 presented a clear relationship with Theme 3: Increased Confidence & Reverence

of Management. Specifically, P1 highlighted that trust and respect of leadership

decreases the desire for micro-management, which lessens employee confidence in

leaders. Consequently, 30% of the participants (6 out of 20) stressed how trust and

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respect of managers enhances engagement which enriches effort through love of the job.

In particular, 10% of respondents (P4 and P10), acknowledged how the lack of trust and

respect for leaders destroys teamwork and leads to disengaged employees, which is not in

the best interest of the organization. Overall, the participants’ responses related with

Research Question 1 revealed the following themes: (a) incentives, (b) increased morale,

and (c) increased confidence and reverence of management, which were explored

individually to provide simplicity. All responses were coded and analyzed using NVivo

11 software.

Theme Analysis: Research Question 2

The results for Research Question 2, What factors do staff employees identify as

the greatest influence on employee engagement?, were generated from the responses of

twenty study participants to Questions 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, 13, and 14 on the interview

questionnaire. The responses were transcribed to Questions 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, 13, and 14 from

which each theme was developed, the codes that surfaced 14 of the 160 responses from

participants were organizational interest, recognition, and service to client, which resulted

into categories that included: motivation, and achieving results that permitted incentives

to emerge as Theme 1a. Additionally, employee feedback and dissatisfaction were codes

that appeared on 14 occasions resulting in organizational support/training and negative

feelings to surface as categories, where reward-based performance developed as Theme

4. Consequently, organizational relationships and positive inputs were codes that

developed 17 times, resulting in the category, organizational performance, which

supported organizational productivity surfacing as Theme 5. All codes and categories

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were examined, and themes acknowledged for Research Question 2, resulting from

participants’ responses as indicated in Table 3.

Table 3. Theme Analysis: Research Question 2

Theme Analysis: Research Question 2

Codes Categories Themes

Organizational Interest Motivation Incentives

Recognition Motivation

Service to Client Achieving Results

Employee Feedback Organizational

Support/Training

Reward-based

Performance

Dissatisfaction Negative Feelings

Organizational

Relationships Organizational

Performance

Organizational

Productivity

Positive Inputs Organizational

Performance

Theme 1a: Incentives

The participants’ replies from interviews disclosed experiences constant with the

following codes associated with incentives: (1) organizational interest; (2) recognition;

and (3) service to client. Three participants (15%) pointed out how the level of interest in

their work within the organization improved or diminished the degree of engagement.

Furthermore, six study participants (30%) communicated that the importance of

recognition through incentives and rewards were necessary to sustain a sufficient level of

engagement. Likewise, being compensated and/or rewarded in the form of a raise or

promotion for their work efforts were vital as a means of recognition in precluding them

from becoming disengaged. An additional element that boosted the engagement of four

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study members (20%) was being able to provide service to clients and the gratitude

customers’ exhibit from the services received.

Question 2 asked, in your role, what keeps you fully engaged in your tasks? The

transcribed responses of Participants 1, 10, 13, and 20 were precisely related to Theme

1a: Incentives. Two participants (10%) indicated how having an interest in what you are

doing plays an instrumental role in keeping them fully engaged. Precisely, P1 asserted,

“In my role, incentives, interest, and being fortunate enough to have a job keeps me fully

engaged in my tasks” which illustrates how essential incentives are in employee

engagement. In addition, (2 out of 20) respondents (10%) maintained that being

motivated and having the ability to motivate co-workers to deliver a work product

beyond expectations in the performance of their duties, led to them being fully engaged.

In essence, P13 and P20 (10%) acknowledged that motivation is an essential element in

maintaining a level of engagement that results in the willingness to perform above and

beyond expectations.

Question 3 asked, in your role, how and why do employees become disengaged in

their task? The transcribed responses of Participants 3, 6, 8, 11, 13, 15, 19, and 20 were

specifically associated with Theme 1a: Incentives. Twenty percent of participants (4 out

of 20) shared that being recognized, compensated, appreciated, and rewarded were

crucial factors that contribute to an employee’s level of engagement. Precisely, P3 and

P8 (10%) maintained, “Employees become disengaged when they are not recognized,

compensated, and/or rewarded for their efforts” while P19 and P20 (10%) summarized

the fact that increased pay via a raise or promotion can go a long way in terms of

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preventing an employee from becoming disengaged. Further, 10% (2 out of 20)

participants pointed out that employees experience disengagement due to the

inconsistency of management in the show of respect towards employees along with

equipping them with the needed information and resources needed to do the job. For

instance, P6 maintained, “People become disengaged because they get tired when the

managers are inconsistent and give wrong information.”

An additional 10% of participants (2 out of 20) believed the lack of motivation

contributed to employees becoming disengaged resulting from the working being

mundane, the lack of ownership of the work being performed, and not being adequately

trained to do the job. One respondent indicated, “I believe that employees can become

disengaged in their task due to lack of motivation or lack of respect and/or appreciation

that they may feel they do not receive from higher management” (P11). These comments

categorized as motivation contributed significantly to their disengagement.

Question 7 asked, what gives your work meaning in your role? The transcribed

responses of Participants 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 16, 18, and 20 were explicitly linked to

Theme 1a: Incentives. Fifteen percent of study members (3 out of 20) stressed how

“service to the client” served as an incentive to them remaining engaged in their work.

P16 embodied the concept of service to client in which the respondent indicted, “The

work I do gives meaning because of the help I give students. When I make them smile or

say I am the best. That is good meaning.” In addition, P20 stated, “What gives my work

meaning in my role is to be able to provide assistance to my customers and colleagues

and that they show appreciation. I love helping” which further emphasized the role of

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“service to the client” in employee engagement. Achieving results was also paramount in

contributing to this theme, whereby four respondents (20%) believed that task

accomplishment was contributory in being engaged. For example, P10 acknowledged,

“Being appreciated for my hard work and seeing positive results from what I have

accomplished, gives my work meaning.” Moreover, 30% of participants (6 out of 20)

cited how being appreciated for your work was essential in giving work meaning, which

was a contributing factor in employee engagement. In particular, P7 and P8 specified

that being appreciated or acknowledged by coworkers and managers was essential in

giving meaning to the work they perform, a supporting element to this theme.

Theme 4: Reward-based Performance

The responses from interviews allowed participants to share information

persistent with the following codes associated with reward-based performance: (1)

employee feedback; and (2) dissatisfaction. Five participants (25%) believed employers

that accept and respond to employee feedback better understand the importance of

organizational support, along with being more considerate of training requirements,

which is an essential aspect in sustaining and improving engagement. The study

members further asserted that if employees are able to provide opinions regarding

company matters and what they feel can be done more effectively, the information can

result in leadership taking actionable steps that benefit the level of engagement.

In assessing employee’s views regarding dissatisfaction, nine participants (45%)

emphasized it leads to complaints, strife, division, and a toxic work environment, which

usually results in disengagement. Consequently, study members indicated dissatisfied

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employees affect team dynamics and breeds a culture of employees with negative feeling

that often disrupts and even destroy the functionality of teams. Furthermore, research

participants considered employees with negative feelings about the organization to have a

huge effect and influence on organizational tone and morale of the work environment,

which derails engagement.

Question 9 asked, how do you believe employees can be reengaged? The

transcribed responses of Participants 1, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 were

definitely linked to Theme 4: Reward-based Performance. Employee feedback was a

fundamental aspect for 15% (3 out of 20) respondents who suggested surveys are

effective methods in capturing opinions about the company, allowing employees the

opportunity to offer ideas they can foster reengagement. P16 specifically expressed, “I

think if supervisors listen to staff about how to make the department run more smoothly

or at least meet staff halfway on work flexibility and support staff with training.”

Additionally, P13 and P14 communicated that company-wide surveys and allowing

employees to speak their minds occasionally would be beneficial in promoting

reengagement, which was instrumental in supporting this theme. The opportunity to

receive training was an important factor for 20% of participants (4 out of 20) as a strategy

in reengaging employees. P1 and P11 (10%) suggested that training could play a role in

influencing the reengagement of employees. Moreover, P12 and P15 (10%) clearly

thought that training played an instrumental role in ways they believed employees can be

reengaged. Twenty-five percent of Respondents (5 out of 20) contended that incentives

were essential in promoting the process of reengaging employees that had become

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disengaged. Explicitly, P1, P5, P9, P10, and P17 (25% of respondents) concluded that

incentives, by means of bonuses, promotions, raises, and services, were significant in

reengaging employees, which supports the Reward-based Performance theme. A

respondent said, incentives and training can greatly influence the effectiveness of

reengaging employees” (P1). P5 articulated, “Incentives and bonuses to re-engage

employees that have recently become disengaged”. Additionally, P9 felt “they can be

reengaged if they are given fair treatment for promotions and raises.”

Question 10 asked what effect and influence do disengaged employees have in the

organization? The transcribed responses of Participants 1, 3, 6, 8, 13, 15, 16, 18, and 19

were positively associated to Theme 4: Reward-based Performance. Employee

dissatisfaction was mentioned by two participants (10%) as an effect and influence in the

organization resulting from disengaged employees. P3 and P8 mentioned exclusively

that disengaged workers create strife and division within the organization due to their

level of personal dissatisfaction. In addition, fifteen percent of participants (3 out of 20)

shared how the negative effects that result from disengaged employees disrupts the tone

and morale within the workplace. P6 and P15 indicated, disengagement can distract

employees and result in negative feelings causing them to become disengaged and the

quality of work suffers, which serves as a provision supporting this theme. Twenty

percent of participants (4 out of 20) responded that low performance from employees is

also a result of disengaged employees. P18 proclaimed that the effect of disengaged

employees on the organization is generally low productivity. Moreover, P19 asserted that

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due to the negative feelings associated with disengaged employees, their quality of work

suffers, which reinforces the Reward-based Performance theme.

Theme 5: Organizational Productivity

The interview responses permitted study members to provide evidence persistent

with the following codes associated with organizational productivity: (1) organizational

relationships; and (2) positive inputs. Twelve participants (60%) specifically linked

organizational relationships (that exist between employee and employer) as instrumental

in positive engagement which correlates with improved organizational performance.

Furthermore, the study participants indicated that this direct correlation between

employee engagement and positive organizational performance resulting from

organizational relationships is often the result of happy employees that typically perform

at higher levels when fully engaged.

Consequently, participants believed employee performance without engagement

results in a lack of focus and concern regarding the consistency of task execution needed

to ensure positive organizational performance, along with consistent follow through and

successful completion of tasks to support productivity. The results of positive inputs

were contributory to productivity resulting from employee engagement for 25% of study

members (5 out of 20). The participants emphasized that engaged employees are more

likely to increase their productivity, resulting from positive inputs, because they enjoy

what they do, which shows in their performance. Precisely, the results of study member

interviews revealed that the level of engagement has a profound effect on inputs, which

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result in either, high or low productivity, consequently affecting overall organizational

performance.

Question 13 asked, how would you describe the relationship between employee

engagement and organizational performance? The transcribed responses of Participants 3,

6, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 14 were clearly linked to Theme 5: Organizational Productivity.

Three participants (15%) proclaimed there is a direct relationship between employee

engagement and organizational performance. Overall, P3, P6, and P8 (15% of

Respondents) recognized the correlation between engagement and performance because

engaged employees are typically happy, which results in better performance. Ten percent

of Respondents (2 out of 20) recognized that if employees are not engaged, their overall

performance is curtailed due to a lack of focus and does not result in positive outputs.

Two participants (10%) responded that increased productivity describes the

relationship between positive employee engagement and organizational performance.

For instance, P9 and P10 pointed out that if employees are engaged, productivity

increases, which positively aligns with the Organizational Productivity theme. P3,

directly stated, “There is a direct correlation between employee engagement and

organizational performance because engaged employees are most often happy employees

and happy employees usually perform better”. “If the company have high level of

employee engagement from staff they will excel in customer loyalty and productivity

increases” (P9.) Participant’s responses supported the need to have a positive employee

and manager relationship.

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Question 14 asked, what effect does employee engagement have on productivity?

The transcribed responses of Participants 2, 4, 9, 12, 13, 14, 16, and 18 were undoubtedly

connected to Theme 5: Organizational Productivity. Specifically, 15% of Respondents (3

out of 20) implied that positive relationships within the organization fosters employee

engagement that usually results in higher levels of productivity. Likewise, P2 shared that

when employees are happy and enjoy their work, productivity is at an elevated level. P4

also emphasized that engaged employees are more likely to have an increased level of

productivity because of relishing the work they are assigned. Moreover, five participants

(25%) explained how positive or negative employee engagement has the ability to impact

productivity, which depends how the individual embraces their job.

Specifically, P12, P14, and P16 (15% of Respondents) pointed out that employee

engagement has a profound effect on productivity, whereby negative engagement could

result in low productivity; while positive engagement may foster higher levels of

productivity, which is in direct correlation with the Organizational Productivity theme.

As one respondent clearly stated “When people are happy at work and enjoy what they

are doing then productivity is high” (P2). Further, P4, expressed “Employees who are

engaged in the organization are more likely to increase their productivity, they enjoy

what they are doing, and it shows in their work performance.

The responses related with Research Question 2 surfaced the following themes:

(1) incentives, (2) reward-based performance, and (3) organizational productivity, which

were investigated separately to provide straightforwardness. All responses were coded

and analyzed using NVivo 11 software. Research Question 2 was posed to bring out the

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lived experiences regarding factors that gives the greatest influence on employee

engagement in your organization. Specifically, the researcher developed a list of topics

after reviewing each transcribed interview, clustered similar topics, grouped and

classified each into codes using descriptive wording to organize the data for preliminary

analysis. Furthermore, the researcher approached the analysis of data by bracketing and

phenomenological reduction, effectively evaluating data with openness to each theme

that emerged and accepted the phenomenon. Furthermore, each interview was

transcribed manually and thoroughly reviewed to grasp a complete understanding of the

responses prior to coding. The 140 responses from study participants were arranged by

each research question from which codes were established. Overall, codes were formed,

categories were examined, and themes acknowledged as indicated in Table 2 and Table 3

from participants’ responses.

Theoretical Connection

The theoretical association formed from the results of this study provided insights

by the bidirectional transaction meaning something is given, and something returned,

which was consistent with the description of engagement as a two-way relationship

between employer and employee, supporting the social exchange theory (Schuck &

Wollard, 2013). Also, this study found some participants communicated an awareness

that employee engagement was present as relationships evolved into trusting, loyal, and

mutual commitments when parties accepted specific “rules” of change (Schuck &

Wollard, 2013). Furthermore, some participants recognized that engagement was

existent resulting from the receipt of economic and socio-emotional resources from their

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organization, which is prevalent in the social exchange theory (Xanthopoulou, Bakker,

Demerouti, & Schaufeli, 2012). This study further generated results that provided a

theoretical foundation of the social exchange theory that served as fundamental

conceptual paradigms required in understanding workplace behavior (Doherty, 2010).

For instance, elements of the social exchange theory highlighted when several

participants indicated the level of job satisfaction, incentives, compensation, rewards, and

appreciation affects their degree of engagement. Besides, the receipt of trust, respect, and

support from management as well as the organization was paramount in affecting the

level of engagement for several other study participants. Also, specific study members

pointed out that the level of autonomy and opportunities for training and development

reciprocated by employees showing higher levels of engagement, which associated with

the social exchange theory. The notions of social exchange emphasize employees can

repay their organization through engagement and they often choose to engage themselves

in contrasting degrees as a means to respond to the resources they receive from their

organization (Pedrycz, Russo & Succi, 2011; Rich, Lepine, & Crawford, 2010).

Summary

Chapter 4 reported the results of this study, which focused on the lived

experiences of staff employees working at a Georgia academic institution regarding

employee engagement from the viewpoint of employees in academia. This

phenomenological approach utilized tape-recorded scripted interviews as the means of

data collection. The participants shared opened and honest experiences that presented

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their perspectives on employee engagement. The researcher tape-recorded, responses

transcribed notes, and data analyzed.

Furthermore, the data were coded, classified, themes identified, and results

summarized in narrative form. The study’s findings and data analysis yielded a total of

five themes. The following themes emerging for Research Question 1 What are the lived

experiences of Georgia school system employees regarding employee engagement?

Included: incentives, increased morale, and increased confidence and reverence in

management, which were prevalent during in-depth interviews. This theme was essential

to the employee and managers to understand the perspectives of an employee's

engagement in the workplace. The themes that surfaced for Research Question 2 What

factors do staff employees identify as the greatest influence on employee engagement ?

Which consisted of incentives, reward-based performance, and organizational

productivity. The need for incentives and reward based performance exposed the

behaviors an employee required from their managers and the company. The findings

reflected an apparent connection to the literature reviews and theoretical framework,

which indicated the need for engagement. In Chapter 5, the researcher interprets the

findings from the analyzed data. Chapter 5 served as the concluding chapter, which

consisted of a discussion and interpretation of findings, limitations of the study,

recommendations for further research, implications for positive social change are before

the conclusion of the study.

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Chapter 5: Discussions, Conclusions, and Recommendations

Introduction

This qualitative study explored employee engagement from the viewpoint of

employees through the lived experiences of Georgia school system employees regarding

employee engagement. This phenomenological research used the recorded interviews

with 20 staff members at a university located in the state of Georgia to understand how

they perceived the concept of engagement. The purpose of this study was to learn more

about what employees think about their level of employee engagement and productivity.

The staff were required to have worked at least 5 years full-time in the same department.

The phenomenological approach was appropriate because the study involved

exploring a phenomenon to understand employee perceptions regarding workplace

engagement. The nature of this study was constructed using a qualitative design to

understand human behavior based on the opinions of related individuals through

employing a purposeful sampling method to collect data. Specifically, the use of a

phenomenological study provided a deeper understanding of employee engagement and

the concept’s underlying structure through the emergence of themes from the lived

experiences of participants.

The study results revealed that employee engagement was present as

relationships between employees and managers developed over time into trustworthy,

loyal, and shared commitments. . Findings gathered from the analysis of the data

highlighted five main themes. The first three themes for RQ1 are incentives, increased

morale, and increased confidence and reverence of management from the participants

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who answered the interview questions. The themes reward-based performance and

organizational productivity apply to RQ2. Moreover, the themes reflect previous

literature. This study built on research that has previously identified the importance of

employee engagement with employees and managers and that lack of engagement leads

to a significant loss in organization productivity.

To gather the data required, 20 participants were purposefully selected.

Participants were then asked to sit one on one with the researcher and answer 14

questions. Participants were comprised of employees selected from one university in the

state of Georgia in the United States who have worked at least 5 years full-time in the

same department. The data were collected in one-on-one interviews.

Interpretation of Findings

There were several interpretations recognized and documented from the findings

of this phenomenological study. These interpretations presented clarity to the analyzed

and collected data. The interpretations of findings are presented with each research

question.

Research Question 1

RQ1: What are the lived experiences of Georgia school system employees

regarding employee engagement?

The findings for RQ1 revealed experiences consistent with organizational interest,

recognition, self-motivation, and service to the client, which supported the theme

incentives. Explicitly, the findings specified how 30% of the participants shared how

important recognition is through incentives and rewards are necessary to maintain an

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adequate level engagement. There were 15% of employees indicated depending on the

task they were doing in the workplace enhanced or lessened the degree of engagement,

which was consistent with employees becoming connected with their tasks, whether in

group settings or individually resulting in the completion of tasks through a personal

connection with the person and task (Kahn, 1990).

Additionally, recognition through incentives and rewards was consistent with

Mone et al. (2011), which revealed employee engagement came from a framework for

building commitment based on inspiring, rewarding, and involving employees in

organizational actions. Further, Tilman et al. (2011) supported the importance of

recognition through incentives and rewards that showed employees desire jobs that will

provide them with a feeling of accomplishment, as well as a sense that compensation

matches their services. Moreover, Bakker and Demerouti (2008) supported the

importance of incentives and rewards, which indicated vital rewards that include feeling

valued and involved, along with opportunities to develop in their jobs, and the extent to

which the organization demonstrates care for its employees, intrinsically and

extrinsically.

Participants in this study revealed that motivation was instrumental in maintaining

a consistent work ethic, enthusiasm, and a positive attitude that will promote engagement

Increased morale surfaced as a theme supported by participant responses linked to

level of happiness and passion for work, which was instrumental in augmenting the

degree of employee engagement. Study participants further stressed that if they were not

satisfied or happy, engagement was nonexistent, which resulted in the desire to seek

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employment elsewhere. Additionally, study members indicated that a high level of

happiness influences the intensity of their engagement, which would likely result in a

high level of performance. Shuck and Rose (2013) affirmed that actively disengaged

employees are unhappy at work and act out their unhappiness in the workplace through

deviant workplace behaviors. In the findings, 25% of the participants stated that if they

do not like there job and are not motivated, they will most likely not give their best effort

and 30% of the participants stated in their job they would not be satisfied and will seek

employment elsewhere which is consistent with the findings of this study as it relates to

the theme increased morale.

Subsequently, the findings of this study associated with increased morale

suggest that having a passion for work enhances the level of employee engagement,

which results in job satisfaction and from having a love and passion for the job. James et

al. (2011) emphasized that employees who have a passion for their work feel connected

and more often fully engaged. There were five participants stated their engagement level

is high because they are passionate and love the job, which helps with the morale which

supports the findings related to the increased morale theme.

Increased confidence and reverence of management was also a theme that

emerged. The findings augmented when leaders of the organization worked to create a

positive work environment by providing support and employee autonomy, being

approachable, and enforcing company rules. These actions by leadership helped in

developing an organizational culture that fostered employee engagement. Mosadeghrad

and Ansarian (2014) concluded that poor management and ineffective communications

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are significant challenges in maintaining employee engagement. Moreover, participants

in this study agreed that the level of trust and respect an employee has for organizational

leadership is essential in employee engagement. Adler (2012) indicated engagement

based on trust, respect, and commitment corroborate the findings.

The findings of RQ1 include incentives, increased morale, and increased

confidence as themes that surfaced from the data collected.

Research Question 2

RQ2: What factors do staff employees identify as the greatest influence on

employee engagement?

The findings for RQ2 uncovered participant experiences related to organizational

interest, recognition, and service to the client, that supported the theme associated with

incentives. Kahn (1990) revealed how employees were personally connected with their

daily tasks. The findings of this study also identified how the level of interest in what

employee worked on enhanced engagement, which illustrates the consistency of results.

The research findings associated with incentives further illustrated that

recognition through incentives and rewards aligned with the study conducted by Mone et

al. (2011), which disclosed that employee engagement was shaped from a framework for

building commitment based on rewarding, employees. Furthermore, the importance of

recognition through incentives and rewards was supported by Tilman, Smith, and Tilman

(2011) which stressed that employees desire jobs that provide them with a sense of

accomplishment, as well as a compensation matching their services. Bakker and

Demerouti (2008) study on employee engagement also supported the importance of

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incentives and rewards that specified fundamental rewards include feeling valued and

involved, along with opportunities to develop in their jobs, and the extent to which the

organization demonstrates intrinsic and extrinsic consideration for its employees.

Service-to-the-client is an additional aspect that fosters engagement which as

essential to the incentives theme. Participants communicated how the level of

engagement increased from their role of being able to provide service to clients along

with the show of appreciation from customers. Similarly, Schuck and Wollard (2013)

emphasized how an engaged employee are an integral part in the development of positive

customer relationships, which corroborates the findings related with this study.

Reward-based performance emerged as a theme maintained by participant

responses linked to employee feedback and dissatisfaction. The findings revealed

employers that accept and respond to employee feedback appreciate the importance of

organizational support, along with the need for training, which is an essential aspect of

sustaining and improving engagement. Schuck and Wollard (2013) study results

substantiate this finding, which implied organizations have a responsibility to train

employees and build a meaningful workplace. Dissatisfaction is an aspect necessary in

the performance that leads to complaints, conflict, division, and a toxic work

environment, which usually results in disengagement. Eversole, Venneberg, and Crowder

(2012) proclaimed there is a definite relationship between the level of employee

engagement and employee’s feeling of satisfaction, which leads to performance beyond

management’s expectations. Organizational productivity serves as a theme that surfaced

from study participants that centered on organizational relationships and positive inputs.

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In particular, organizational relationships are seen instrumental in the positive

engagement which correlates with improved organizational performance. Kataria, Garg,

and Rastogi (2012) stated that engaged employees experience more significant work and

organizational attachment. These attributes are helpful approaches toward improved

engagement and relationships with co-workers, resulting in reduced absenteeism, and

compliance with organization policies, practices, and procedures.

Moreover, participants emphasized that engaged employees be more likely to

increase their productivity, resulting from favorable inputs, because they enjoy what they

do, and that shows up in their performance. This aspect of organizational productivity is

in direct correlation with the results of Gruman and Saks (2014) which found a high level

of engagement in energized and optimistic employees that are highly motivated and

focused on organizational goals and results in positive inputs and organizational

attachment. The finding revealed that the level of engagement has a profound effect on

positive inputs, which result in high or low productivity, subsequently influencing

organizational productivity. The findings of Research Question 2 included incentives,

reward-based performance, and organizational productivity as themes that surfaced from

the data gathered. These results illustrate an obvious connection to the literature reviews

and conceptual framework, which exhibits consistency with the findings associated with

previous literature.

Limitations of the Study

These following limitations were present during this study. One limitation of the

study was that the population only included one academic school in the United States.

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Another limitation included the fact that all participants were asked to be open and

forthcoming with the disclosure of information regarding their work situation and

experiences within the organization. Some of the participants received the same training

on the subject, whereby the possibility exists that similarities in responses may surface.

An additional limitation was the fact that the study participants included only one set of

employees based at a single organization and consisted of only non-managerial

employees, so the responses did not reflect perceptions of the organization as a whole.

The data from the study did not capture the lived experiences of individuals from

other institutions. As such, the population was not representative of other geographical

areas. Although the phenomenological study was not a wide enough to generalize results

to all work settings, populations, and universities, it did include individuals who had a

range of experience with the current organization and were of both genders. The

phenomenon of employee engagement became clearer especially narrowing the research

particularly to a specific organization and group of individuals, which provided the

opportunity to address a gap in research. During this study, the results revealed that an

adequate level of employee engagement could yield positive results and increase

organizational productivity.

Recommendations

This research study was conducted to address the identified gap in the literature

regarding engagement in academia lived experiences influence their perception of

working with management in the organization. The study was conducted with a sample of

20 full-time staff in a university setting located in the state of Georgia. All participants

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were employed as full-time staff and had a minimum of five years ‘experience working

with the same manager and department. Specifically, participants’ years of working in the

same department ranged between five and eighteen years. The participants were five

male and fifteen female. Within the sample, six participants had six or more years

working with the same manager, and nine participants had worked five years. The staff

contributed important insight into their experiences and perceptions concerning

engagement in the workplace, and the effect that these experiences and perceptions had

on their relationship with managers’ involvement and work achievement among their

department.

Given the participants in this study were employed as full-time staff from one

academic institution, further research could address the limitations of this study by

examining how the issue of employee engagement is experienced in other academic

institutions throughout the state of Georgia. This study could provide a broader

understanding of the types of leadership styles and involvement strategies managers use

to produce an optimally engaged staff within the organization. Based on the participant

requirement of this study, employees had a minimum of five years of working in the

same department.

Further research could be conducted with staff participants having only one year

of full-time employment. A research study of this sort may provide insight into the

perceptions of one year full-time employees before they gain additional years of

experience with the managers in the workplace. In addition, future studies could focus on

a more diverse sample of participants than represented in this study. For example, this

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could include faculty and post-docs within the university. Research in this area could

provide the perspectives of faculty who work with managers and staff whose interaction

is limited. Furthermore, a phenomenological study conducted with managers as

participants would provide insight into the managerial perspective on employee

engagement. Managerial perceptions regarding employee engagement in the workplace

could be vital in aiding understanding of what managers believe their role should be in

the high engagement achievement of their staff. This study could also provide an insight

into the types of support and resources that are given to managers, in assisting with

having a highly engaged staff, as it relates to academic policies and guidelines.

Opportunities for enhancing employee engagement in the workplace include five

specific insights for leadership. Which include the importance of (1) building trust; (2)

providing training, mentoring, and continuous learning for leaders; (3) creating policy or

guidelines for employee engagement; (4) empowering workers; and (5) allowing flexible

work schedules. The insights are helpful for recommending step organizational leaders

can take to increase employee engagement in the workplace.

Importance of Building Trust

To increase employee engagement, a leader should build trust among employees

which is a perception of justice and associated with leader credibility Kamalian,

Yaghoubi and Moloudi, 2010). According to Baker (2009), “Good times make life

delightful, but good times do not build trust. That privilege is reserved for times when

individual deliver on promises, despite the change, uncertainty, and chaos” (p. 12).

131

Participants confirmed the importance of building trust and defined it as a fundamental

building block of an honest leader and worker relationships.

Trusting the leader was interpreted as experiencing fairness, receiving support,

and experiencing mutual exchanges of ideas along with open communication without fear

of criticism or repercussions. Maintaining employee engagement is dependent on

building trust which associates with safety and satisfaction. Participants described

disengagement as a product of broken promises, dishonesty, betrayal, and

disappointment.

Leader Training, Mentoring, and Continuous Learning

Schuck and Herd (2012) determined leadership training could positively affect all

factors of leadership. After leaders completed leadership training, workers reported an

increase in job satisfaction because of changes in the leader’s behavior. Positive

outcomes exist for leaders who participate in training. Furthermore, changing the leader’s

behavior influences both the workers and organization (Manzoor, 2012). Employees are

an integral part of the organization.

Participant responses to the current engagement study support the theory that

leadership training and mentoring is needed to encourage employee engagement.

Furthermore, participants suggested that adopting leadership training and peer leader

mentoring as an on-going process would assist leaders with evaluating and evolving

leadership style and behaviors. Leaders should model desired behaviors and demonstrate

engagement and commitment to motivate others. A leader should be willing to modify his

132

or her leadership style by using feedback to demonstrate they are continuously learning

and committed to improving employee engagement.

Creating Policy or Guidelines for Employee Engagement

Similar to other business agreements, employee engagement is a reciprocal

contract between leaders and workers (Kamalian, Yaghoubi, & Moloudi, 2010).

Participants in the current engagement study agreed self-motivation, personal

commitment, and leader contribution are necessary for maintaining employee

engagement. Developing leader and worker policies or guidelines may help leaders

understand employee engagement and expectations. The current study results revealed

that employees want to do their best work and contribute to the success of the company.

The general recommendations included organizational changes that can improve

employee engagement. Recommendations for leadership include aligning leader actions,

performance behaviors, and conduct with suggestions to develop and improve employee

engagement. According to Adler (2012), “engagement is driven by both ‘micro-level’

elements (personal growth, perceptions of supervisor, performance feedback) and ‘macro

level’ elements (company leadership, honest communication, belief in future company

success)” (p. 15). Participants identified recommendations that align with the findings of

Kamalian, Yaghoubi, and Moloudi (2010). For example, participant recommendations

included creating a policy of what engagement means to the company and employee. The

rationale for developing policy was to improve communication to assist in determining

whether employees and leaders have the same understanding of employee engagement.

133

Strategies to promote employee engagement may include. (1) Providing a

voice for workers; (2) encouraging trust and respect; (3) promoting communication and

collaboration; (4) providing support and guidance; (5) being fair and equitable, providing

opportunities for growth, learning, rewards, and advancement; and (6) encouraging

disengaged employees to re-engage. Strategy development is a starting point for

addressing employee engagement. Taking action is the essential component of achieving

change. Investing in human capital through effective strategies is one of the most critical

investments organizational leaders can make (Adler, 2012).

Recommendations for Additional Studies

Understanding engagement means developing studies to find a process and

measure (Baaker, 2011). One recommendation is to conduct a phenomenological study

on engagement with larger sample size, from a variety of organizational setting that can

be generalized to the population. Although the number of participants was appropriate for

the current qualitative study on engagement, increasing the number of participants in

future studies may help determine a more consistent definition of employee engagement.

Employee engagement is a construct that has significance in many other settings such as

psychology, education, and healthcare (Baaker, 2011). A further study in other industries

may result in a definition that may apply across disciplines.

The current qualitative study revealed various opinions and may vary, whereas

not all responses correctly align with the study framework. Conducting future research

that expands the parameters of the study would capture additional insights. Some

examples of future studies to further the knowledge of employee engagement include

134

qualitative studies in psychology to help determine engagement level and how fully

engaged individuals may contribute to their family and community. Qualitative studies in

education could explore the perceptions and commitment of educators who may enhance

the process of effective communication.

Implications

Several factors emerged from the study. Reflecting strong implications that

trigger employee engagement. The study results revealed that employee engagement was

positive as relationships evolve into trusting, loyal, and mutual commitments.

Furthermore, the findings recognized that employee engagement was positively present

during the receipt of economic and socio-emotional resources from their organization, an

implicit aspect of the social exchange theory (Schuck & Wollard, 2013). A consistent

theme that surfaced in both research questions from the responses of participants was

incentives and associated with organizational interest, recognition, motivation, service to

the client.

Participants implied that the level of interest in their work within the

organization, importance of recognition through incentives and rewards, along with

motivation when things become challenging, and providing service to clients was

instrumental in enhancing or lessening the degree of engagement. Tilman et al. (2011)

confirms the importance of recognition through incentives and rewards and asserted

employees want jobs that will provide a feeling of accomplishment, in addition to,

compensation that matches their services. Participants stressed the impact job satisfaction

plays as a significant component of employee engagement that linked to increased

135

morale. Participants also emphasized if there is not a passion for what they do,

engagement declines and the likelihood of dissatisfaction exist in the workplace. Also,

participants indicated that being satisfied with individual job increases the level of

engagement, which allows them to complete tasks and meet organizational requirements.

Furthermore, James et al. (2011) emphasized when employees have a passion for their

work, they are more often fully engaged, which supports the findings related to the

increased morale theme. Several participants indicated they are passionate about the work

for the department and students gave them high engagement in the workplace.

Further implications suggest that leadership plays a crucial role in creating a

positive work environment through support, autonomy, welcoming, which develops into

an organizational culture that increases confidence in management and fosters

engagement. Additionally, the results suggest that when employees knew leaders cared

and took steps for improvement, they, in turn, were willing to support the company,

which increased the level of disengagement. Specifically, a micro-management

leadership approach negatively tends to be a concern that affected the level of trust and

respect an employee has for organization leadership which is the foundation of employee

engagement. Mosadeghrad and Ansarian (2014) established that poor management is a

significant challenge in maintaining employee engagement. As a result, dissatisfied

employees affect team dynamics and breeds a culture of employees with negative

feelings which often disrupts and even destroy the functionality of teams that adversely

affects engagement.

136

Schuck and Wollard (2013) confirmed employers that foster a culture of

employee feedback are positioned to provide the essential support that is essential to

sustaining and improving engagement. Many study members indicated that if employees

can provide opinions regarding company matters and provide solutions to work more

efficiently, the feedback can result in leadership taking actionable steps that benefit

engagement.

Overwhelmingly, participants linked organizational relationships that existed

between employee and employer as contributory in positive employee engagement which

correlates with improved organizational performance. Additionally, the study indicated

this direct relationship is often the result of happy employees who characteristically

performed at higher levels when fully engaged. Moreover, having a high level of

happiness affects the intensity of employee engagement and the likelihood they would

perform at an extraordinary level when fully engaged. Also, the employee’s love for the

job was influential in contributing to the level of happiness possessed which impacts the

degree of engagement. Kataria, Garg, and Rastogi (2012) supported the claim which

asserted that engaged employees experience greater organizational attachment as the

study results indicate.

Implications for Social Change

Positive social change may have a contribution from this study on an

organizational level by identifying and maintaining effective methods that foster

employee engagement. Since organizations are social systems, having concern for

employees is an approach to improving engagement. The concept of employee

137

engagement is rapidly becoming an essential aspect of the workplace (Welch, 2011). By

understanding the importance of employee engagement to organizations, it is critical that

all stakeholders be involved in promoting the participation and involvement of employees

(Handa & Gulati, 2014). Furthermore, it is essential for managers to promote

engagement, because disengagement is central to the lack of commitment and motivation

of workers (Hakanen & Schaufeli, 2012). The following are additional approaches that

may foster employee engagement within academic organizations in the state of Georgia:

Organizations should increase its commitment and allocation of resources through time,

money, and support in training employees and supervisors in promoting engagement

methods. Employers that accept and respond to employee feedback better understand the

importance of organizational support, in addition to being more understanding of training

requirements, which is an essential trait in sustaining and improving engagement.

Leaders should be trained to regularly address employee commitment to reduce

turnover, along with creating methods to discourage employees from becoming

disengaged. Working relationships should evolve into trusting, loyal, and mutual

commitments, along with respect, which is vital to the level of confidence employees

have in leaders. The absence of trust and respect in leaders is a significant factor that

results in disengagement, causing employees to feel distant, unwanted, and unvalued.

Recognition via incentives and rewards are essential in maintaining an adequate level of

engagement. Being compensated and rewarded in the form of a salary increase or

promotion is essential in preventing them from becoming disengaged. Reward and retain

138

engaged, willing, and productive workers, which will reduce the financial burden of

employee turnover.

Foster active participation to augment job satisfaction and organizational

commitment, which is positively related to employee engagement. The passion for work

is significant in enhancing employee engagement. Job satisfaction serves as a significant

element of employee engagement because of the love and passion for the job. Having job

satisfaction increases the level of engagement, which allows the successful completion of

tasks to meet organizational requirements.

The findings of this research study should contribute to positive social change

within academic organizations, by specifically helping university system employees

identify methods to improve and problems associated with engagement. An

understanding of employee engagement as it relates to the lived experiences of

employees in a university system adds to the body of knowledge regarding this

phenomenon. Overall, this research could prove useful for leaders in the academic

institutions, business organizations, in addition to communities who could benefit from

this study by utilizing the findings defined by lived experiences of employees to gain an

enhanced understanding of employee engagement.

Conclusion

This study explored the lived experiences of Georgia school system employees

regarding employee engagement. The results of this study were essential in allowing the

researcher to determine if commonalities ensued that explored the phenomenon to

understand employee perceptions regarding workplace engagement. Which yielded the

139

following five themes: (1) incentives, (2) increased morale, (3) increased confidence and

reverence of management, (4) reward-based performance, and (5) organizational

productivity. As a result of this study, the logical connections study offered insights that

revealed the social exchange theory provided a theoretical foundation offering a source of

bidirectional transaction that indicates explicitly a two-way win, which illustrated

consistency that engagement is a reciprocal relationship between employer and

employee. Furthermore, the results asserted that employee engagement was present as

relationships progress over time into trusting, loyal, and mutual obligations.

Additionally, the findings acknowledged that employee engagement was existent

resulting from the receipt of economic and socio-emotional resources from the

organization, which is an established characteristic of the social exchange theory.

Moreover, this qualitative analysis allowed the researcher to capture the unrehearsed

viewpoints from the lived experiences of 20 employees working within a Georgia

academic institution regarding the perspectives of employee engagement. The study

consisted of two research questions developed to identify strategies that may increase the

knowledge of employee engagement at a Georgia academic institution. This research was

essential in confirming that the findings reflect a distinct relationship to the literature

reviews and theoretical framework. Also, the findings of this study were instrumental in

narrowing a research gap by reporting the effect of employee engagement which may

create a better understanding of academic organizations to enhance employee

engagement in the workplace. Moreover, keeping employees engaged in an academic

institution may create a positive effect on numerous areas of operations.

140

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Appendix A: Letter Granting Permission to Conduct the Study in the Georgia State

University System

Dear Mr. Katz

Thank you for speaking with me and providing instructions on receiving IRB approval.

I am writing to request permission to conduct a research study at your institution. I am

currently enrolled in the College of Management Program at Walden University. I have

been granted approval from Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the study entitled,

"Employee Engagement from the Viewpoint of Employees in Academia," a

phenomenological study that is from the lived experiences of staff in the workplace.

(Approval Letter attached)

I hope that the school administration will allow me to recruit staff people from the

school to complete a one on one interview questions (copy attached) with me.

Interested staff, who volunteer to participate, will be given a consent form (copy

attached) to be signed and returned to the researcher at the beginning of the interview

process. If approval is granted, the participants will complete the interview in a quiet

setting of their choice and time. The meeting should take no longer than 60 minutes.

The participant's name in this study will remain entirely confidential. Should this

study be published, only results will be documented. No cost will be incurred by

either the school or individual participants.

Your approval to conduct this study will be greatly appreciated. I will be happy to

answer any questions or concerns that you may have. You may contact me at my

email address stephanie.merrick@waldenu.edu

If you agree, kindly acknowledge your approval or a signed letter of permission on the

Institute letterhead acknowledging your authority.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Giles Merrick

Walden University- College of Management

163

Appendix B: Letter Granting Permission to use Interview Questions

Dr.XXXX, Program Manager External Programs at Raytheon

I modeled my question after hers, my committee suggested rewrite the question are and

cite her in order to pass through IRB because Swinton-Douglas did not respond to me.

With that being said I'll give you permission to use my questionnaire.

Sent from LinkedIn for iPhone

http://lnkd.in/ios

164

Appendix C: Interview Questions and Demographic Data

Q1: How do you define employee engagement?

Q2: In your role, what keeps you fully engaged in your tasks?

Q3: In your role, how and why do employees become disengaged in their task?

Q4: How do you remain motivated in your current role?

Q5: In your role, how does job satisfaction affect your engagement level?

Q6: How does your engagement level affect your decision to remain with the

company?

Q7: What gives your work meaning in your role?

Q8: How would you describe the role of leadership in employee engagement?

Q9: How do you believe employees can be reengaged?

Q10: What effect and influence do disengaged employees have in the

Organization?

Q11: How does trust and respect in the organization and leadership affect

employee engagement?

Q12: What is your perception of employee engagement?

Q13: How would you describe the relationship between employee engagement?

and organizational performance?

Q14: What effect does employee engagement have on productivity?

165

166

Appendix D: Confidentiality Agreement-Transcriptionist

Between Harlen Williams (Transcriptionist)

AND: Stephanie Giles Merrick (Researcher)

WHEREAS:

The transcriptionist has agreed with Stephanie Giles Merrick permitting access to

particular research participants' names and opinions; and that the agreement includes

security and confidentiality restricting the access for 'purposes authorized by Stephanie

Giles-Merrick.

I promise to abide by the following terms and conditions:

I. I will not use copy or future access the information to which I have been granted

access and asked to transcribe.

2. I will at all times treat as confidential all information related to the recording of

the research data and will not permit the publication, release or disclosure of the same.

For this agreement, Information related to research participants, includes, but not limited

to:

i. the individual’s name, or email address

ii. the individual's opinions, as presented for this research project

Signature of the transcriptionist______________________

Date: 11/1/2017